title: Effect of a probiotic food as an adjuvant to triple therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Current recommendations for treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection include a proton pump inhibitor in combination with two antibiotics. We evaluated the potential activity of a probiotic food as an adjuvant to antibiotic triple therapy for eradication of H. pylori infection in children from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five children who tested positive for H. pylori, as diagnosed by (13)C-urea breath test and endoscopy, were included in this study. Patients were randomized to receive 1-wk triple therapy plus probiotic food (treated group) or milk placebo (control) that was administered for 3 mo. Probiotic food consisted of 250 mL of a commercial yogurt containing Bifidobacterium animalis and Lactobacillus casei (10(7) colony-forming units/mL). Post-treatment urea breath test controls were performed 1 and 3 mo after the end of triple therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no significant differences in H. pylori eradication rates (ERs) at 1 and 3 mo between the treated group (ER = 45.5% and 42.4%) and the control group (ER = 37.5% and 40.6%). Relative risks between groups were 0.87 (95% confidence interval 0.58-1.32, P = 0.345) in the first month and 0.97 (95% confidence interval 0.64-1.46, P = 0.542) in the third month.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could not demonstrate an adjuvant effect of the studied probiotic food to triple therapy in the eradication of H. pylori infection in children in Buenos Aires, Argentina. However, we found lower ERs than those reported for the same therapeutic scheme in developed countries, indicating that bacterial resistance and alternative therapeutic strategies should be studied.
authors.affiliation: Radioisotopes Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. cgold@ffyb.uba.ar
authors.forename: Cinthia G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: Domingo A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Barrado
authors.forename: Norma
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Balcarce
authors.forename: Eduardo Cueto
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Rua
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oshiro
authors.forename: María L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Calcagno
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janjetic
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fuda
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weill
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Salgueiro
authors.forename: Mauro E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.forename: Marcela B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Zubillaga
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Boccio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000502:physiology; D001944:Breath Tests; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D019936:Probiotics; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015014:Yogurt / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors