Conflicting results of non-invasive methods for detection of Helicobacter pylori infection in children with celiac disease - a preliminary study.

Jan Józefczuk; Edyta Mądry; Jan Nowak; Marek Walkowiak; Klaudia Łochocka; Tomasz Banasiewicz; Andrzej Pławski; Jarosław Kwiecień; Jarosław Walkowiak

doi:10.18388/abp.2015_1088

Jan Józefczuk Pediatric Department with Children's Cardiologic Subunit, Specialist Hospital of Holy Spirit in Sandomierz, Sandomierz, Poland.;
Edyta Mądry Department of Physiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.;
Jan Nowak Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.;
Marek Walkowiak Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.;
Klaudia Łochocka Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.;
Tomasz Banasiewicz Department of General, Gastroenterological and Endocrinological Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.;
Andrzej Pławski Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań, Poland.;
Jarosław Kwiecień Department of Pediatrics, The School of Medicine and Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Zabrze, Poland.;
Jarosław Walkowiak Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.;

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18388/abp.2015_1088

Abstract

There are no data addressing the usefulness of non-invasive tests for the detection of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection in celiac disease (CD). The aim of this study was to compare two most sensitive and specific tests - urea breath test (UBT) and fecal antigen test (FAT) in HP diagnosis in CD patients. The study comprised of 76 CD patients, 49 healthy subjects (HS) and 35 patients who underwent differential diagnosis due to abdominal pain (AP patients). The presence of HP infection was evaluated using the (13)C isotope-labeled UBT and FAT (ELISA). HP infection was diagnosed based on UBT and FAT in 8 (16.3%) and 7 (14.3%) HS, and in 8 (10.5%) CD patients and 12 (34.3%) AP patients, respectively, using both tests. The prevalence of conflicting results in comparison with positive results (obtained with any of the two tests) was distinctly higher (54.5%) in CD group than in other subjects (23.3%); however, due to low HP prevalence, it did not reach the level of significance (p<0.1759). CD may increase the risk of divergent results of non-invasive tests used for the detection of HP infection in children. Since UBT is the most reliable test, we suggest its standard use as a method of choice in pediatric CD - at least until new evidence emerges supporting a different approach.