Helicobacter pylori related dyspepsia: prevalence and treatment outcomes at University Kebangsaan Malaysia-Primary Care Centre

Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori Infection and Stress, Anxiety or Depression in Functional Dyspepsia and Outcome after Appropriate Intervention

INTRODUCTION

The association between psychological factors and non-ulcer dyspepsia remains controversial.

AIM

To determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) and Stress/Anxiety/Depression (SAD) in patients with Functional Dyspepsia (FD) and assess the outcome at three months after appropriate intervention.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective non-randomized interventional study was conducted on 120 patients with FD. Initial workup included upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to confirm HP infection with either of two tests, the urease test or histopathology. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scale (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression, General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7) for anxiety and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) for stress. Patients were considered positive when they had significant scores on one or more of the questionnaires (SAD+). The subjects were then classified into four groups: Group A (positive for HP and SAD, n=35), Group B (positive for HP and negative for SAD, n=31), Group C (negative for HP and positive for SAD, n=33) and Group D (negative for HP and SAD, n=21). The groups were then treated as follows: Group A: HP eradication plus psychiatric intervention, Group B: HP eradication alone, Group C: psychiatric intervention alone and Group D: proton pump inhibitors. Modified Glasgow Dyspepsia Symptom Score (Mod. GDSS) was used to assess the severity of dyspepsia at baseline and to monitor the change in score over three months. Statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16.0. Non-parametric data like proportions of response in different groups to treatment was analysed using the Chi square test and quantitative data using ANOVA. Gender wise distribution and response to treatment was calculated using the z-test and unpaired t-test.

RESULTS

Overall 120 patients were recruited across four groups. A 55% of the subjects were positive for HP and 56.7% for SAD and 29.2% for both. In all three groups with psychiatric comorbidity, females exceeded males in a proportion of 3:1. Mod. GDSS was not significantly different at baseline between HP+ and HP- patients (p=0.1278) except when HP positivity was also associated with SAD (p<0.001), whereas SAD positivity alone significantly increased the baseline Mod. GDSS (p=0.006). Mod. GDSS declined in all four groups at three months. When a fall of four or more was considered as an indicator of significant response to intervention, it was seen that overall 74.2% responded to intervention with the best response in Group B and the poorest was in Group C.

CONCLUSION

There is a significant prevalence of HP and SAD in FD. Appropriate intervention is beneficial except in those who are HP negative and SAD positive. This latter group requires further investigation and or drug intervention for SAD.

Helicobacter pylori treatment: New perspectives using current experience

Infection with Helicobacter pylori plays an essential role in the development of duodenal and gastric ulcers as well as in the pathobiology of gastric adenocarcinoma. Thus, successful elimination of the bacterium can reduce the risk of development of these diseases. Currently, most guidelines recommend standard triple therapy (amoxicillin+clarithromycin+proton pump inhibitor), although its efficacy is rapidly falling. Notably, traditional first-line therapy fails in almost 32% of H. pylori-carrying cases, suggesting the importance of choosing the best formulation for first-line therapy. Hence, due to the decreasing effectiveness of first-line treatment, we should be prepared to confront increasing H. pylori therapeutic defeat. Owing to increasing reports of antibiotic resistance worldwide, newer approaches and directions are necessary for managing this problematic infection. Developing and providing better anti-H. pylori strategies (probiotics, antibiotic therapy and non-traditional medicine) without using current clinical experience in treating the infection is impossible. Furthermore, development and examination of new preventive vaccines may also be a new therapeutic direction. Taken together, with regard to current experience, clinicians are highly recommended to consider all alternatives to eradicate H. pylori until a universal vaccine becomes practically available. This article aims to give an overview regarding the current status of H. pylori treatment, accordingly designing an actual overview to gain optimal strategies against this infection.

A Rome III survey of functional dyspepsia among the ethnic Malays in a primary care setting

Backgrounds

The study aimed to survey for FD in a primary care setting in a population known to have an extremely low prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, with the hypothesis that in such a population, dyspepsia should have been relatively less common.

Methods

The Rome III FD Diagnostic Questionnaire was translated into the Malay language and later tested for reliability. A prospective cross-sectional survey was then performed involving 160 Malay patients attending primary care clinic after informed consent. Patients positive for symptoms of FD were subjected to upper endoscopy and exclusion of H. pylori infection. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to test for associated risk factors.

Results

The back-translated questionnaire was similar to the original English version and was reliable (Cronbach Alpha-coefficient 0.85). Of the 160 surveyed subjects, 19 of them (11.9%) had symptoms of FD. With exclusion of erosive diseases (3/160 or 1.9%) from endoscopy, 16 subjects or 10% had FD. None of the 19 subjects were positive for H. pylori infection. Epigastric pain syndrome was present in 11/16 (68.8%) and the rest, overlap with postprandial distress syndrome. With multivariable analysis, a married status (OR = 8.1; 95% CI 1.0-36.5) and positive psychosocial alarm symptoms (OR = 3.8; 95% CI 1.0-14.0) were associated with FD. Of those married subjects, females were more likely to have FD and psychosocial symptoms than men (6.3% vs. 1.9%), P = 0.04.

Conclusions

FD was more common than one had expected among Malays attending primary care clinic in an area with low prevalence of H. pylori.