title: Helicobacter pylori infection in children: prevalence, diagnosis and treatment outcome.
abstract: The clinical significance of Helicobacter pylori infection in children remains largely unknown. The rate of acquisition at different ages has not been ascertained using reliable tests on gastric biopsies. We determined prospectively the prevalence of H. pylori infection in children and its association with gastroduodenal disease. We evaluated 240 children undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for H. pylori infection by rapid urease test, culture, ureA PCR and histopathology. Group I constituted 58 children with upper abdominal pain (UAP) and group II (controls) of 182 children without UAP who underwent diagnostic or therapeutic endoscopy for other reasons. Helicobacter pylori-positive children with UAP received anti-H. pylori therapy. Helicobacter pylori infection was significantly higher in children with UAP than controls (53.4% vs. 28%; P<0.001) and overall prevalence increased with age. On follow-up endoscopy, H. pylori had been eradicated from 82% of children with UAP; it was eradicated from the remaining 18% after a second regimen. Treated H. pylori-positive children with UAP remained symptom-free for a median of 25 months. Control children remained chronically H. pylori infected. Chronic inflammation was present in all infected children, and active inflammation in 48.8%. The study shows H. pylori infection increases with age and is strongly linked to UAP in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow 226 014, India.
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Kashi N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: Surender K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yachha
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: Narendra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Krishnani
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000382:microbiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004378:Duodenal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents