Breath and string test: A diagnostic package for the identification of treatment failure and antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori without the necessity of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

AIM: Helicobacter pylori ( H pylofi) resistance after failed eradication has a major impact on the outcome of a further treatment regimen. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of a non-invasive strategy using the 13C-urea breath test (UBT) and the gastric string test in identifying post-treatment resistance of Hpylori.METHODS: The UBT was routinely performed 4 to 6 wk after H pylorieradication therapy. Forty-two patients (24 females, 18 males, mean age 48 years) with a positive UBT were included in the study. A gastric string test using a capsule containing a 90 cm-long nylon fiber was performed.Before the capsule was swallowed, the free end of the string was taped to the cheek. After one hour in the stomach, the string was withdrawn. The distal 20 cm of the string was inoculated onto an agar plate and processed under microaerophilic conditions. Following the string test, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed to obtain gastric biopsies for conventional culture.RESULTS: H pyloriwas successfully cultured from the gastric string in 34 patients (81%), but not in 5 patients due to contamination with oropharyngeal flora. Hpyloriwas cultured from the gastric biopsies obtained at endoscopy in 39 patients (93%).CONCLUSION: The UBT followed by the gastric string test in the case of treatment failure is a valid diagnostic strategy with the aim of determining the post-therapeutic antibiotic resistance of Hpyloriwith little inconvenience to the patient.Upper GI-endoscopy can be avoided in several cases by applying consequently this diagnostic package.

Prevalence of H pylori associated 'high risk gastritis' for development of gastric cancer in patients with normal endoscopic findings

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of H pylori associated corpus-predominant gastritis (CPG) or pangastritis, severe atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia (IM) in patients without any signifi cant abnormal fi ndings during upper- GI endoscopy. METHODS: Gastric biopsies from 3548 patients were obtained during upper GI-endoscopy in a 4-year period. Two biopsies from antrum and corpus were histologically assessed according to the updated Sydney-System. Eight hundred and forty-fi ve patients (mean age 54.8 ± 2.8 years) with H pylori infection and no peptic ulcer or abnormal gross fi ndings in the stomach were identifi ed and analyzed according to gastritis phenotypes using different scoring systems. RESULTS: The prevalence of severe H pylori associated changes like pangastritis, CPG, IM, and severe atrophy increased with age, reaching a level of 20% in patients of the age group over 45 years. No differences in frequencies between genders were observed. The prevalence of IM had the highest increase, being 4-fold higher at the age of 65 years versus in individuals less than 45 years. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of gastritis featuring at risk for cancer development increases with age. These findings reinforce the necessity for the histological assessment, even in subjects with normal endoscopic appearance. The age-dependent increase in prevalence of severe histopathological changes in gastric mucosa, however, does not allow estimating the individual risk forgastric cancer development-only a proper follow-up can provide this information.

Gastro esophageal reflux disease is associated with absence from work: Results from a prospective cohort study

AIM: To study the association of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) with the absence from work and to estimate the extent of loss in gross domestic product due to inability to work.METHODS: Analysis was based on the prospectively gathered data of a large European cohort study involving 6 215 symptomatic GERD patients (ProGERD). Among these patients, 2 871 were initially employed. The calculation of the loss of gross domestic product was based on the assumption that the prevalence of GERD was about 15% in Germany. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, the mean gross wage of employees was 150 ∈/d in 2002.RESULTS: The data of 2 078 employed patients who were prospectively followed up for over 2 years were analyzed. At study entry, the patients reported a mean of 1.8 d per year of inability to work. During the prospective follow-up under routine clinical care, the proportion of patients reporting days with inability to work decreased from 14% to 6% and the mean number of days per year with inability to work decreased to 0.9 d. Assuming a prevalence of troublesome GERD of 15% in the employed German population, the loss of gross domestic product amounted to 668 million ∈/year in Germany.CONCLUSION: GERD causes a relevant impairment on the national economics by absence from work. The presented data demonstrate the importance of GERD,not only for patients and health insurance companies,but also for the community at large.