Long-term evaluation of Helicobacter pylori screening in school health checkups: an 11-year study in Japan

The eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) at a younger age is considered effective in preventing gastric cancer. Toward this goal, we introduced primary H. pylori screening into routine high school health screenings in 2007. The present study aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological characteristics of H. pylori-infected students and evaluate the effectiveness of H. pylori screening in high school populations.

Primary screening using a urinary anti-H. pylori antibody test was conducted on high school students from 2007 to 2017. Students who tested positive for this examination were recommended secondary screening by esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), with eradication therapy for those with confirmed H. pylori infection. We analyzed data from 2007 to 2011 as the early period and from 2012 to 2017 as the late period.

Over 11 years, 5178 of 5193 (99.7%) subjects received primary screening, among which 184 students (3.6%) tested positive. The primary screening-positive rate decreased significantly from 4.7% in the early period to 2.8% in the late period (p < 0.01). EGD as secondary screening in 103 students (56%) revealed nodular gastritis (83.3%) as the most common endoscopic finding. H. pylori infection was diagnosed in 90 students (87.4%). The resistance rate of H. pylori to clarithromycin was 41.1%. The initial eradication therapy success rate by treatment selection according to H. pylori susceptibility was 96.5%.

The introduction of H. pylori screening into school health checkups achieved high participation rates and appeared useful for identifying and treating H. pylori infection in young populations.