Ann Clin Microbiol.  2018 Sep;21(3):58-63. 10.5145/ACM.2018.21.3.58.

Multicenter Study on the Association of Positive Helicobacter pylori Stool Antigen to Anemia in Children

• Sung H
• Kim MN
• Yong D
• Lee M
• Lee J
• Lee MK
• Chae HS
• Lee HK
• Helicobacter Study Group

• KMID: 2429656
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2018.21.3.58

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Helicobacter pylori infection in children causes gastrointestinal symptoms and iron deficiency anemia. This study aimed to investigate trends in H. pylori stool antigen (HpSA) positivity in children and the relationship between HpSA test results and anemia.
METHODS
We analyzed the results of 2,762 HpSA tests and the correlation of hemoglobin and ferritin with HpSA in patients aged 0-18 years from 2008 to 2014 at a tertiary care center. Additionally, we prospectively evaluated HpSA test results and correlation with hemoglobin in 352 specimens obtained from five centers.
RESULTS
From 2008-2014, the mean positive rate of the HpSA test was 5.8%, with a high of 9.1% in 2012 and a low of 2.3% in 2013. The positive rate correlated with age: 2.9% in 0-6-year-olds, 5.8% in 7-12-year-olds, and 10.6% in 13-18-year-olds (P < 0.0001). There was no difference in HpSA positivity in patients with (7.0%) and without (5.7%) anemia. Ferritin was significantly lower in patients with positive HpSA results than in those with negative results (P=0.0001). In a multicenter study, the positive rate of HpSA was 16.8%.
CONCLUSION
The rate of HpSA positivity was 5.8% in pediatric patients at a single center from 2008-2014, and this rate increased with age. Helicobacter pylori infection may be associated with iron deficiency, as ferritin level was significantly lower in HpSA-positive patients than HpSA-negative patients.

Keyword

Anemia; Ferritin; Helicobacter pylori; Hemoglobin; Stool antigen

MeSH Terms

Anemia*
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency
Child*
Ferritins
Helicobacter pylori*
Helicobacter*
Humans
Iron
Prospective Studies
Tertiary Care Centers
Ferritins
Iron

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Helicobacter pylori stool antigen result by age from 2008 to 2014 in a tertiary care hospital. H. pylori stool antigen was tested by ELISA.

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