Urea breath test for Helicobacter pylori infection in adult dyspeptic patients: A meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection has been well-established as a significant risk factor for several gastrointestinal disorders.The urea breath test(UBT)has emerged as a leading non-invasive method for detecting H.pylori.Despite numerous studies confirming its substantial accuracy,the reliability of UBT results is often compromised by inherent limitations.These findings underscore the need for a rigorous statistical synthesis to clarify and reconcile the diagnostic accuracy of the UBT for the diagnosis of H.pylori infection.AIM To determine and compare the diagnostic accuracy of 13C-UBT and 14C-UBT for H.pylori infection in adult patients with dyspepsia.METHODS We conducted an independent search of the PubMed/MEDLINE,EMBASE,and Cochrane Central databases until April 2022.Our search included diagnostic accuracy studies that evaluated at least one of the index tests(^(13)C-UBT or ^(14)C-UBT)against a reference standard.We used the QUADAS-2 tool to assess the methodo-logical quality of the studies.We utilized the bivariate random-effects model to calculate sensitivity,specificity,positive and negative test likelihood ratios(LR+and LR-),as well as the diagnostic odds ratio(DOR),and their 95%confidence intervals.We conducted subgroup analyses based on urea dosing,time after urea administration,and assessment technique.To investigate a possible threshold effect,we conducted Spearman correlation analysis,and we generated summary receiver operating characteristic(SROC)curves to assess heterogeneity.Finally,we visually inspected a funnel plot and used Egger’s test to evaluate publication bias.endorsing both as reliable diagnostic tools in clinical practice.CONCLUSION In summary,our study has demonstrated that ^(13)C-UBT has been found to outperform the ^(14)C-UBT,making it the preferred diagnostic approach.Additionally,our results emphasize the significance of carefully considering urea dosage,assessment timing,and measurement techniques for both tests to enhance diagnostic precision.Nevertheless,it is crucial for researchers and clinicians to evaluate the strengths and limitations of our findings before implementing them in practice.

Evaluation of urea breath test as a diagnostic tool for Helicobacter pylori infection in adult dyspeptic patients

In this editorial,we discuss the article in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.The article conducts a meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of the urea breath test(UBT),a non-invasive method for detecting Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection in humans.It is based on radionuclide-labeled urea.Various methods,both invasive and non-invasive,are available for diagnosing H.pylori infection,inclu-ding endoscopy with biopsy,serology for immunoglobulin titers,stool antigen analysis,and UBT.Several guidelines recommend UBTs as the primary choice for diagnosing H.pylori infection and for reexamining after eradication therapy.It is used to be the first choice non-invasive test due to their high accuracy,specificity,rapid results,and simplicity.Moreover,its performance remains unaffected by the distribution of H.pylori in the stomach,allowing a high flow of patients to be tested.Despite its widespread use,the performance characteristics of UBT have been inconsistently described and remain incompletely defined.There are two UBTs available with Food and Drug Administration approval:The 13C and 14C tests.Both tests are affordable and can provide real-time results.Physicians may prefer the 13C test because it is non-radioactive,compared to 14C which uses a radioactive isotope,especially in young children and pregnant women.Although there was heterogeneity among the studies regarding the diagnostic accuracy of both UBTs,13C-UBT consistently outperforms the 14C-UBT.This makes the 13C-UBT the preferred diagnostic approach.Furthermore,the provided findings of the meta-analysis emphasize the significance of precise considerations when choosing urea dosage,assessment timing,and measurement techniques for both the 13C-UBT and 14C-UBT,to enhance diagnostic precision.

Validity and cost comparison of ^(14)carbon urea breath test for diagnosis of H Pylori in dyspeptic patients

AIM： To validate and compare the cost of microdose ^14C urea breath test （UBT） with histology and rapid urease test for the diagnosis of H Py/ori. METHODS： Ninety-four consecutive patients with dyspeptic symptoms undergoing gastroscopy were enrolled. Gastric biopsies were taken for histology and rapid urease test. UBT was performed after gastroscopy by microdose ^14 urea capsules. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of UBT were calculated and compared with histology and rapid urease test. Cost comparison of these tests was also performed. RESULTS： H pylori was diagnosed by histology and rapid urease test in 66 （70%） and 61 （65%） patients, while ^14C UBT detected infection in 63 （67%）. Accuracy of UBT was 93% in comparison with histology while its positive and negative predictive values were 97% and 84%, respectively. Comparison of ^14C UBT with rapid urease test gives an accuracy of 96%, with positive and negative predictive values of 95% and 97%, respectively. These results were highly reproducible with a Kappa test （P value 〈 0.001）. Cost of histology or rapid urease test with gastroscopy was 110 USD or 95 USD respectively while the cost of UBT was 15 USD.CONCLUSION： Microdose ^14C UBT was comparable to histology and rapid urease test. ^14C UBT is an economical, self sufficient and suitable test to diagnose active Hpylori infection in less developed countries.

Modified Helicobacter test using a new test meal and a 13C-urea breath test in Helicobacter pylori positive and negative dyspepsia patients on proton pump inhibitors

AIM To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the ^(13)C-urea breath test(UBT) in patients taking proton pump inhibitors(PPIs), using a new test meal Refex. METHODS One hundred and fourteen consecutive patients with dyspepsia, 53 Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) positive, 49 H. pylori negative, were included in the study. The patients were then given esomeprazole 40 mg for 29 consecutive days, and the ^(13)C-UBT with the new test meal was performed the next morning. RESULTS The sensitivity of the ^(13)C-UBT with a cut off 2.5‰ was92.45%(95%CI: 81.79%-97.91%) by per-protocol(PP) analysis and 78.13 %(95%CI: 66.03%-87.49%) by intention-to-treat(ITT) analysis. The specificity of the ^(13)C-UBT test was 96.00 % in the ITT population(95%CI: 86.29%-99.51%) and 97.96% in the PP population(95%CI: 89.15%-99.95%).CONCLUSION The new test meal based ^(13)C-UBT is highly accurate in patients on PPIs and can be used in those unable to stop their PPI treatment.

^(14)C-urea breath test in patients undergoing anti-tuberculosis therapy

AIM: 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 antiTB 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 30cases (85.7%) at the end of the treatment course. One month after completion of treatment course, UBT remained negative in 13 patients (37.1%).CONCLUSION: 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.

Comparison of a monoclonal antigen stool test (Hp StAR) with the ^(13)C-urea breath test in monitoring Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy

AIM： To evaluate the agreement between a mAb-based stool test （HP STAR） and the urea breath test （UBT） in monitoring （H pylon） infection after eradication therapy. METHODS： Patients with discordant results on UBT and Hp STAR underwent endoscopy with biopsies for rapid urease test, culture, and histology to confirm H pylori status. RESULTS： Among 250 patients （50±14 years）, 240 （96.0%） had concordant UBT and Hp STAR tests with a significant correlation between DOB and A values （R = 0.87; P〈0.0001）. The remaining 10 （4.0%） patients had discordant tests （positive Hp STAR and negative UBT） with the Hp STAR inaccurate in five cases （false positive） and UBT inaccurate in the other five cases （false negative）. The “maximal expected” sensitivity, specificity, ＋PV, -PV, ＋LR, and -LR were 91%, 100%, 100%, 97.4%, ∞, and 8.2 respectively, for the UBT, and 100%, 97.4%, 91%, 100%, 38.8, and 0, respectively, for the Hp STAR. Overall accuracy for both tests was 98%. CONCLUSION： Both the UBT and the Hp StAR are equally accurate in monitoring H pylori infection. Nowadays, the choice of the “best” non-invasive H pylori test in the post-treatment setting should be done not only in terms of diagnostic accuracy but also in view of cost and local facilities.

Dual therapy for third-line Helicobacter pylori eradication and urea breath test prediction

We evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of a dual therapy with rabeprazole and amoxicillin (AMX) as an empiric third-line rescue therapy. In patients with failure of first-line treatment with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI)- AMX-clarithromycin regimen and second-line treatment with the PPI-AMX-metronidazole regimen, a third-line eradication regimen with rabeprazole (10 mg q.i.d.) and AMX (500 mg q.i.d.) was prescribed for 2 wk. Eradication was confirmed by the results of the 13C-urea breath test (UBT) at 12 wk after the therapy. A total of 46 patients were included; however, two were lost to followup. The eradication rates as determined by per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses were 65.9% and 63.0%,respectively. The pretreatment UBT results in the subjects showing eradication failure; those patients showing successful eradication comprised 32.9 ± 28.8 permil and 14.8 ± 12.8 permil, respectively. The pretreatment UBT results in the subjects with eradication failure were significantly higher than those in the patients with successful eradication (P = 0.019). A low pretreatment UBT result (≤ 28.5 permil) predicted the success of the eradication therapy with a positive predictive value of 81.3% and a sensitivity of 89.7%. Adverse effects were reported in 18.2% of the patients, mainly diarrhea and stomatitis. Dual therapy with rabeprazole and AMX appears to serve as a potential empirical third-line strategy for patients with low values on pretreatment UBT.

Accuracy of urea breath test in Helicobacter pylori infection: Meta-analysis

AIM: To quantitatively summarize and appraise the available evidence of urea breath test(UBT) use to diagnose Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection in patients with dyspepsia and provide pooled diagnostic accuracy measures.METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library and other databases for studies addressing the value of UBT in the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. We included cross-sectional studies that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of UBT in adult patients with dyspeptic symptoms. Risk of bias was assessed using QUADAS(Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies)-2 tool. Diagnostic accuracy measures were pooled using the random-effects model. Subgroup analysis was conducted by UBT type(13C vs 14C) and by measurement technique(Infrared spectrometry vs Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry).RESULTS: Out of 1380 studies identified, only 23 met the eligibility criteria. Fourteen studies(61%) evaluated 13 C UBT and 9 studies(39%) evaluated 14 C UBT. There was significant variation in the type of reference standard tests used across studies.Pooled sensitivity was 0.96(95%CI: 0.95-0.97) andpooled specificity was 0.93(95%CI: 0.91-0.94). Likelihood ratio for a positive test was 12 and for a negative test was 0.05 with an area under thecurve of 0.985. Meta-analyses were associated with a significant statistical heterogeneity that remained unexplained after subgroup analysis. The included studies had a moderate risk of bias.CONCLUSION: UBT has high diagnostic accuracy for detecting H. pylori infection in patients with dyspepsia. The reliability of diagnostic meta-analytic estimates however is limited by significant heterogeneity.

Gender-associated differences in urea breath test for Helicobacter pylori infection referrals and results among dyspeptic patients

AIM: To verify whether there is a gender difference in the 13C-urea breath test results in a large cohort. METHODS: The test results of dyspeptic patients referred for 13C-urea breath testing between January and December, 2007 were evaluated. Testing was carried out at the health insurance organization branches and evaluated at a central laboratory in Israel. RESULTS: Of a total of 28 746 test results, 18 122 (63.04%) were from females and 10 624 (36.95%) from males. Overall, 10 188 (35.4%) results [expressed as delta over baseline (DOB)] were positive (DOB 13C > 5), 18,326 (63.7%) were negative (DOB 13C < 3.5) and 232 (0.8%) were borderline (DOB 13C 3.5-5). There was a significant difference between the total positive rate among females and males (34.8% vs 37.2%, respectively, P = 0.0003). The mean test value was increased by approximately 10 units for females compared to males (P < 0.01) and this difference was consistent for all age groups (i.e., between 10-80 years of age, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: More females were referred to 13C-urea breath testing. More males had positive results. The mean test values were significantly higher among females of all age groups, possibly representing an increased bacterial load among females and suggesting gender-associated differences in Helicobacter pylori host interactions.

Effect of posture on ^(13)C-urea breath test in partial gastrectomy patients

AIM: To investigate whether posture affects the accuracy of 13C-urea breath test(13C-UBT) for Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) detection in partial gastrectomy patients. METHODS: We studied 156 consecutive residual stomach patients, including 76 with H. pylori infection(infection group) and 80 without H. pylori infection(control group). H. pylori infection was confirmed if both the rapid urease test and histology were positive during gastroscopy. The two groups were divided into four subgroups according to patients' posture during the 13C-UBT: subgroup A, sitting position; subgroup B, supine position; subgroup C, right lateral recumbent position; and subgroup D, left lateral recumbent position. Each subject underwent the following modified 13C-UBT: 75 mg of 13C-urea(powder) in 100 m L of citric acid solution was administered, and a mouth wash was performed immediately; breath samples were then collected at baseline and at 5-min intervals up to 30 min while the position was maintained. Seven breathsamples were collected for each subject. The cutoff value was 2.0‰.RESULTS: The mean delta over baseline(DOB) values in the subgroups of the infection group were similar at 5 min(P > 0.05) and significantly higher than those in the corresponding control subgroups at all time points(P < 0.01). In the infection group, the mean DOB values in subgroup A were higher than those in other subgroups within 10 min and peaked at the 10-min point(12.4‰± 2.4‰). The values in subgroups B and C both reached their peaks at 15 min(B, 13.9‰± 1.5‰; C, 12.2‰± 1.7‰) and then decreased gradually until the 30-min point. In subgroup D, the value peaked at 20 min(14.7‰± 1.7‰). Significant differences were found between the values in subgroups D and B at both 25 min(t = 2.093, P = 0.043) and 30 min(t = 2.141, P = 0.039). At 30 min, the value in subgroup D was also significantly different from those in subgroups A and C(D vs C: t = 6.325, P = 0.000; D vs A: t = 5.912, P = 0.000). The mean DOB values of subjects with Billroth Ⅰ anastomosis were higher than those of subjects with Billroth Ⅱ anastomosis irrespectively of the detection time and posture(P > 0.05).CONCLUSION: Utilization of the left lateral recumbent position during the procedure and when collecting the last breath sample may improve the diagnostic accuracy of the 13C-UBT in partial gastrectomy patients.

Microdose (14)~C-urea breath test to diagnose Helicobacter pylori infection

A capsulated microdose 14C-urea breath test (14C-UBT) was developed to detect Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection in 137 patients (54 HP negative and 83 HP positive individuals)to whom a single dose of 3. 7ｘ 104 Bq of 14C-urea in a capsule was given. Samples of exhaled gas were collected at the sib, 10th, 15th. 20th, 25th, 30th, 45th and 60th minute after the administration and the peak value of exhaled 14CO2 was found in the samples collected at the 25th minute. This peak value was taken as the measuring point and directly expressed as Bq/mmol CO2 to develop a new detecting method. Then its results were compared with those of HP culture and histological examination. It was found that the samples collected on the 25th minute showed a sensitivity of 97. 06%, specificity of 95. 12%, positive predictive value of 97. 06% and negative predictive value of 95. 12% respectively when the mean value of 14CO2 in HP negative subjects ±3s on the 25th minute was taken as the critical value. This suggests that the capsule-based microdose 14C-UBT may replace conventional 14C-UBT using a larger dose of (1. 85-3. 7)ｘ 105 Bq for it is non-invasive, safe, rapid, accurate, simple and economic.

样本采集时间对老年慢性胃炎患者^(13)C-尿素呼气试验结果的影响

目的:分析样本采集时间对老年慢性胃炎患者^(13)C-尿素呼气试验结果的影响。方法:选取2019年6月—2021年6月山东省荣军总医院收治的150例老年慢性胃炎患者作为研究对象。所有患者于空腹及餐后3 h进行^(13)C-尿素呼气试验,并以快速尿素酶检测结果作为“金标准”,比较两个样本采集时间^(13)C-尿素呼气试验结果的准确率、特异度及灵敏度。结果:空腹时采集样本的^(13)C-尿素呼气试验准确率、灵敏度高于餐后3 h,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:老年慢性胃炎患者空腹时进行^(13)C-尿素呼气试验的诊断效能较高。

体检人群幽门螺杆菌感染检测意愿调查

目的探讨体检人群对H.pylori感染检测的主动性及其对检测方式的倾向性。方法于2022年9月至2022年12月在国内两家综合性三甲医院的体检人员中发放电子调查问卷,问卷内容包括受访者对H.pylori感染及检测方式的了解情况,主动给自己及家中老人、儿童(<14岁)检测的意愿,及其对尿素呼气试验(urea breath test,UBT)和H.pylori粪便抗原试验(H.pylori stool antigen test,HpSAT)的比较与选择等。结果共回收488份有效问卷。消化道症状或疾病在体检人群(57.0%)及其家庭成员(35.5%)中普遍存在。体检人群对H.pylori感染的熟悉率仅为11.9%。43.0%受访者会在体检时主动检测,36.9%的受访者在医师建议下才会进行检测,而20.1%不会主动检测。影响检测主动性的因素主要是对H.pylori感染的了解程度。对于家中老人和儿童的检测,大部分体检人员需要医师建议才会进行检测。体检人员选择检测方式时,主要看其重准确性、方便性、安全性,超过80%体检人员会选择UBT。结论体检人群对H.pylori感染的认知水平较低,但检测意愿性较强,在检测时倾向于选择传统的UBT,对新兴的快速HpSAT缺乏了解。

Diagnostic accuracy of tests for Helicobacter pylori in an Alaska Native population

AIM： TO evaluate the accuracy of two non-invasive tests in a population of Alaska Native persons. High rates of Helicobacter pylori （H. pylon] infection, H. pyIori treatment failure, and gastric cancer in this population necessitate documentation of infection status at multiple time points over a patient＇s life.urease test, 13C urea breath test （UBT）, and immunoglobulin G antibodies to H. pylori in serum. The performances of 13C-UBT and antibody test were compared to a gold standard defined by a positive H. pylori test by culture or, in case of a negative culture result, by positive histology and a positive rapid urease test.RESULTS： The sensitivity and specificity of the 13C- UBT were 93% and 88%, respectively, relative to the gold standard. The antibody test had an equivalent sensitivity of 93% with a reduced specificity of 68%. The false positive results for the antibody test were associated with previous treatment for an H. pylorlinfection [relative risk （RR） = 2.8]. High levels of antibodies to H. py/or/were associated with chronic gastritis and male gender, while high scores in the 13C-UBT test were associated with older age and with theH. pylori bacteria load on histological examination （RR = 4.4）. CONCLUSION： The 13C-UBT outperformed the antibody test for H. pylori and could be used when a noninvasive test is clinically necessary to document treatment outcome or when monitoring for reinfection.

三亚市自然人群幽门螺杆菌感染情况分析

目的探讨三亚市自然人群幽门螺杆菌(H.pylori)感染现状,分析其影响因素,为防控H.pylori感染提供参考依据。方法采用整体分层随机抽样的方法选取三亚市四个区共677名居民,进行尿素^(14)C呼气试验和问卷调查,计算自然人群H.pylori阳性率,并分析H.pylori感染的影响因素。结果共纳入606名居民,H.pylori阳性检出者为261例,阳性检出率为38.5%。其中不同民族、婚姻状况、吸烟、进食蔬菜瓜果和文化程度与H.pylori感染相关(P<0.05);性别、年龄、BMI、饮酒、饮用水来源、咀嚼槟榔及同住人口数量与H.pylori感染无明显相关(P>0.05)。家人感染是三亚市自然人群H.pylori感染的独立危险因素,黎族、经常食用瓜果蔬菜、大专及以上文化水平是三亚市自然人群H.pylori感染的独立保护因素。结论三亚市自然人群H.pylori感染率低于全国平均水平,多食用瓜果蔬菜、提高卫生防护意识有利于预防H.pylori感染;推广家庭和相关成员同检同治,避免家庭内部聚集性感染。

玉树地区藏族人群幽门螺杆菌感染临床特点和相关性分析:1项队列研究

目的评估青海玉树地区藏族人群幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacter pylori,H.pylori)感染情况,研究其危险因素。方法选取2023年10月至2024年2月因上腹部症状就诊于青海省玉树藏族自治州人民医院完善13 C-UBT的患者记录结果,并对入组患者进行问卷调查,内容包括性别、年龄、吸烟史、饮酒史、教育程度、职业、居住地、月收入、是否分餐及饮食情况,并分析各因素与H.pylori感染的相关性。结果共有299例患者入组,其中UBT阳性176例,感染率为58.9%。Logistic单因素回归分析显示,居住在非农牧区是H.pylori感染的保护因素(OR=0.47,95%CI:0.27~0.81,P=0.006)。Logistic多因素回归分析显示,居住在非农牧区与H.pylori感染呈负相关,结果在多个模型中均稳定。结论居住在非农牧区是H.pylori感染的保护因素。

Influence of proton pump inhibitor treatment on Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test

AIM: To investigate the effects of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment on stool antigen test using the TestMate pylori enzyme immunoassay. METHODS: This study assessed 28 patients [16 men and 12 women; mean age (63.1 ± 5.9) years; range, 25-84 years] who underwent stool antigen test and urea breath test (UBT) before and after PPI administration. RESULTS: Using the UBT as the standard, the sensitivity, specif icity and agreement of the stool antigen test in all 28 patients were 95.2%, 71.4%, and 89.3%, respectively, before PPI administration, and 88.9%, 90.9%, and 89.3%, respectively, after PPI treatment. Mean UBT values were 23.98% ± 5.33% before and 16.19% ± 4.75% after PPI treatment and, in 15 patients treated for ≥ 4 wk, were signif icantly lower after than before 4 wk of PPI treatment (12.58% ± 4.49% vs 24.53% ± 8.53%, P = 0.048). The mean optical density (A450/630) ratios on the stool antigen test were 1.16 ± 0.20 before and 1.17 ± 0.24 after PPI treatment (P = 0.989), and were 1.02 ± 0.26 and 0.69 ± 0.28, respectively, in the group treated for > 4 wk (P = 0.099).

A Retrospective Analysis of Three Non-Invasive Tests for Initial Diagnosis of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>Infection in Children

Proper diagnosis in the pediatric population is required to eradicate Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and prevent gastric cancer. Our aim was to assess the performance of non-invasive tests to diagnose H. pylori infection in pediatric patients. A retrospective analysis was performed on 141 pediatric patients requiring endoscopic evaluation and diagnostic tests for H. pylori infection to define the cause of abdominal symptoms. Non-invasive tests included the 13C-urea breath test (UBT), a monoclonal stool antigen test using enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (mSAT), and a serum immunoglobulin G antibody test using antigens derived from Japanese individuals (S-Ab). This study investigated sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios for a positive and a negative test (LR+ and LR-), and accuracy of non-invasive tests, in comparison with invasive tests. Eighty two of 141 patients (58%) were recognized as H. pylori positive by invasive methods. When UBT, mSAT or S-Ab were analyzed, all were found to be effective over 94% accurate. Specificity ranged between 86.7% and 95.8%, and sensitivity ranged between 93.8% and 97.1%. When subjects were stratified into three distinct age groups, the best performance was achieved for 1-6 years old with mSAT at 100% for sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. S-Ab yielded the best results for children 7-12 years old and the UBT test performed best for 13-18 years old. These results demonstrate the utility of UBT, mSAT, and S-Ab non-invasive tests in diagnosing H. pylori but suggest that certain tests may be optimal for children of distinct ages. Three non-invasive tests, UBT, mSAT and S-Ab showed sufficient sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for the initial diagnosis of H. pylori infection among pediatric patients. Non-invasive tests may contribute to achieving minimum invasive diagnosis with combining with a histological test and a culture test in children.

Helicobacter pylori infection in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region:Prevalence and analysis of related factors

BACKGROUND^(14)C urea breath test(^(14)C UBT)and immunohistochemical staining(IHC)are widely used for detection Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection with different sensitivity,and there is a difference in H.pylori infection rate in Uyghur and Han ethnic groups.Both need large cohort studies to evaluate the differences more accurately.AIM To analyze the difference between^(14)C UBT and IHC for H.pylori detection in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the difference between Uyghur and Han populations.METHODS There were 3944 cases of H.pylori infection detected by both IHC and^(14)C UBT at the same time(interval<1 wk,with sampling site including gastric antrum,selected from 5747 patients).We compared the sensitivity of^(14)C UBT and IHC.We also compared 555 pairs of Han/Uyghur cases(completely matched for gender and age)for their H.pylori infection rates.The overall H.pylori infection rate of all 5747 cases and the correlation with other clinicopathological data were also further analyzed.SPSS V23.0 software was used for statistical analysis.RESULTS The sensitivity was 94.9%for^(14)C UBT and 65.1%for IHC,which was a significant difference(n=3944,P<0.001).However,among those cases negative for H.pylori by^(14)C UBT(detection value≤100),4.8%were positive by IHC.Combining both methods,the overall H.pylori infection rate was 48.6%(n=5747),and differences in gender,age group,ethnicity and region of residence significantly affected the H.pylori positive rates.According to age group(Han/Uyghur),the positive rates were≤30 years(62.2%/100.0%),31-40 years(45.2%/85.7%),41-50 years(47.2%/79.2%),51-60 years(44.6%/76.1%),61-70 years(40.9%/68.2%),71-80 years(41.7%/54.1%)and≥81 years(42.9%/NA).The H.pylori infection rates of Han/Uyghur paired cases were 41.4%and 73.3%,which was a significant difference(P<0.001)(555 pairs).H.pylori positivity was significantly related to moderate-severe grade 2-3 chronic/active gastritis and intestinal metaplasia(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION The sensitivity of^(14)C UBT was significantly higher,but combined application can still increase the accuracy.The prevention H.pylori should be emphasized for Uygur and young people.

^(13)C-尿素呼气试验在不同年龄段儿童幽门螺杆菌感染中的诊断价值分析

目的探讨^(13)C-尿素呼气试验(^(13)C-UBT)在不同年龄段儿童幽门螺杆菌(Hp)感染中的诊断价值。方法228例疑似Hp感染患儿,将2~5岁患儿作为A组(62例),将6~17岁患儿作为B组(166例)。所有患儿均进行胃镜检查以及^(13)C-UBT、快速尿素酶试验(RUT)、Hp粪便抗原检测。记录所有患儿Hp感染情况;比较A组与B组患儿胃内胆汁反流发生情况,^(13)C-UBT假阴性与真阳性患儿胃内胆汁反流发生情况以及^(13)C-UBT检测Hp阳性的敏感度、特异度和准确度。结果联合检测Hp感染率86.4%(197/228)高于^(13)C-UBT检出阳性率65.4%(149/228),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。197例Hp感染患儿中胃内胆汁反流发生率为15.7%(31/197),其中B组胃内胆汁反流发生率为20.1%(28/139),高于A组的5.2%(3/58),差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。228例患儿中^(13)C-UBT检测Hp的敏感度为75.6%,特异度为96.8%,准确度为78.5%,阳性预测值为99.3%(149/150),阴性预测值为38.5%(30/78)。A组中^(13)C-UBT检测Hp的敏感度89.7%和准确度90.3%均明显高于B组的69.8%、74.1%,差异均具有统计学意义(P<0.05);两组的特异度比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。在^(13)C-UBT假阴性患儿中胆汁反流发生率35.4%(17/48)明显高于^(13)C-UBT真阳性患儿的9.4%(14/149),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论^(13)C-UBT在儿童Hp感染检测中的特异性和阳性预测值均较高,尤其在2~5岁儿童中具有相对较高的敏感度和准确度,对于^(13)C-UBT检测为阴性而临床疑似Hp感染的患儿,应联合其他检测方法进一步检查确诊,避免漏诊发生。