title: Using enzyme immunoassay to detect Helicobacter pylori stool antigen for investigating the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in children and adolescents in Changhua.
abstract: To investigate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in adolescents and children in Changhua and to compare the differences between urban and rural areas, we used enzyme immunoassay to detect H. pylori stool antigen for feco-prevalence study. In addition, a questionnaire was designed to obtain demographic and clinical information. Children and adolescents under 18 years of age living in Changhua city and Yung-Chin village were divided into 6 groups respectively, ie. 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, 12-15, and 15-18 years. A minimum of 30 persons were investigated in each group. A total of 567 subjects (M/F 295/272) were included in this study. There was no significant difference in H. pylori infection with regard to residential area, gender, education of the mother, occupation of parents, family history of peptic ulcer, and number of family members, except for epigastralgia of the subjects (p=0.001) and education of the father (p=0.039). The overall prevalence was 13.75%. A low prevalence was noted in the group 0-3 years (2.0%). The prevalence increased with age and reached its maximum of 23.8% in the age group of 9-12 years and then declined. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that only age (odds ratio (OR)=1.3, 95% confidence interval (C.I.)=1.1-1.5) and epigastralgia (OR=1.71, 95% C.I.=1.0-3.0) were the most important risk factors for H. pylori infection after adjusting for participating gender, place of residence and father's age. The difference in age pattern of H. pylori infection between our results and other studies needs further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Changhua Christian Hospital, Taiwan. 31300@cch.org.tw
authors.forename: Ming-Tzong
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Kai-Lin
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Lon-Yen
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: Chang-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wun-Tsong
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chaou
authors.forename: Yu-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yi-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial