14C-urea breath test in patients undergoing anti-tuberculosis therapy.
OBJECTIVE
Urea breath test (UBT) is a non-invasive diagnostic test for detecting the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori). In this study we evaluated the effect of anti-tuberculosis therapy on the results of 14C-UBT.


METHODS
Patients, with the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) who had a positive UBT at the point of starting anti-TB therapy, were included. None had a history of peptic ulcer disease or had taken antibiotics, bismuth compounds and/or PPI in the previous month. 14C-UBT was repeated at the end of the second month and the end of treatment period and one month after completion of treatment course.


RESULTS
Thirty-five patients (23 males) were enrolled. 14C-UBT was negative in all 35 patients (100%) at the end of the second month and remained negative in 30 cases (85.7%) at the end of the treatment course. One month after completion of treatment course, UBT remained negative in 13 patients (37.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
Our report underscores the need for caution while interpreting urea breath test results in patients undergoing anti-TB therapy. Furthermore, the combination of drugs used in this study resulted in H pylori eradication in a minority of patients.
Mirbagheri
Sayed Amir
SA
Department of Gastroenterology, Amir-Alam General Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Sohrabpour
Amir Ali
AA
Hasibi
Mehrdad
M
Moghimi
Babak
B
Mohamadnejad
Mehdi
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014508:Urea
D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D014508:Urea