Helicobacter pylori and iron-deficiency anemia in adolescents in Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and iron deficiency (ID) in adolescents attending a public school.


METHODS
From March to June 2001, a cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescents (10-16 years) enrolled in a single public school in São Paulo, Brazil. Of 400 eligible students, 195 agreed to participate, but 1 was excluded due to sickle cell disease. A blood sample was collected from each subject to measure hemoglobin and ferritin. H pylori status was investigated with the C-urea breath test. All of the subjects with either anemia or ID were given iron therapy.


RESULTS
H pylori prevalence was 40.7% (79/194), being higher in male subjects (45/90 vs 34/104, P = 0.014). There was no relation between infection and nutritional status. Abnormally low serum ferritin was observed in 12 subjects, half of whom were positive for H pylori (odds ratio [OR] 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38-5.81). The median serum ferritin was 33.6 ng/mL (interquartile range 23.9-50.9) in infected subjects and 35.1 ng/mL (interquartile range 23.7-53.9) in uninfected subjects. Anemia was detected in 2% (4/194) of the students, half of whom were infected (OR 1.47, 95% CI 0.1-20.6). The mean hemoglobin value in infected subjects was 13.83 g/dL ± 1.02 versus 14 g/dL ± 1.06 in uninfected subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The study was not able to find a relation between H pylori infection and ID or anemia.
Araf
Litza Neves
LN
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.
Pereira
Carlos Alberto de Bragança
CA
Machado
Rodrigo Strehl
RS
Raguza
Daniele
D
Kawakami
Elisabete
E
D000293:Adolescent; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D001944:Breath Tests; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution
D005293:Ferritins