Risk Factors for Helicobacter pylori Infection and Endoscopic Reflux Esophagitis in Healthy Young Japanese Volunteers

The Prevalence of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in H. pylori-Positive and -Negative Patients

INTRODUCTION

The presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection can influence gastric acid production. While both gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and H. pylori are highly prevalent in the Saudi Arabian population, the relationship between these two conditions remains uncertain. This study aims to assess the association between GERD and H. pylori.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study which included patients who underwent endoscopy with gastric biopsy to test for H. pylori. H. pylori status was assessed using histopathology. The GERD-Q questionnaire was used to ascertain the presence of GERD. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the relationship between H. pylori and GERD.

RESULTS

A total of 352 participants were included, with a mean age of 45 years (±14.7) and 58% of them being female. 148 participants (42%) tested positive for H. pylori. 59 (39.9%) had GERD. GERD was identified in 39.9% of the H. pylori-positive group and 37.3% of the H. pylori-negative group. H. pylori was not significantly associated with GERD in the multivariate analysis (P = 0.726, OR = 1.089, 95% CI: 0.675 - 1.759).

CONCLUSION

There was no association between H. pylori infection and GERD in this Saudi Arabian population.

Prevalence and beverage-related risk factors of gastroesophageal reflux disease: An original study in Chinese college freshmen, a systemic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Beverage-drinking behavior could be a potential risk factor for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in young populations. However, GERD prevalence in this population has not been investigated, and beverage consumption's association with GERD remains inconclusive. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and beverage-related risk factors of GERD among Chinese college freshmen and in youth around the world.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Chinese college freshmen in September 2019 using random cluster sampling method. Participants completed questionnaires on demographic information, food intake frequency, and GER symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between beverages and GERD. Studies were retrieved from multiple databases for systemic review. The prevalence of GERD in young populations and beverage-related risk factors were pooled using random-effect models.

KEY RESULTS

Based on the 3345 individuals who completed the questionnaires, GERD prevalence in Chinese college freshmen is 5.1%. Multivariate analysis showed students who drink green tea daily, and those who drink coffee regularly were more likely to develop GERD compared with those who never drink tea or coffee. The pooled prevalence of GERD in young populations is 18.0%, and frequent alcohol consumption is positively associated with GERD in general population.

CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES

The prevalence of GERD in Chinese college freshmen is significantly lower than that in worldwide youth populations. Alcohol, green tea, and coffee consumption could be potential risk factors for GERD. Future large-scale epidemiological studies are warranted for reliable identification of beverage-related risk factors for GERD in young populations.

The association between helicobacter pylori infection and erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease; a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The association between H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori) infection and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a complex and confusing subject. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between helicobacter pylori infection and erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease.

METHOD

In a cross-sectional study, all patients referred for endoscopy due to dyspepsia were enrolled. The diagnosis of erosive GERD was made by endoscopy. Patients with normal esophagus were selected as comparison group. Random gastric biopsies were taken from all participants to diagnose H. pylori infection.

RESULT

In total, 1916 patients were included in this study, of whom 45.6% had GERD. The mean age (SD) was 42.95 (16.32). Overall, 1442 (75.3%) patients were positive for H. pylori infection. The frequency of H. pylori infection in mild GERD patients was higher than the severe GERD, but this difference was not significant (P = 0.214). Except for sociodemographic status (P < 0.001), other variables including gender, age, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and presence of hiatus hernia in patients had no significant association with the frequency of H. pylori infection. According to Robust Poisson regression models analysis, the association of H. pylori (PR 1.026; 95% CI 0.990-1.064; P = 0.158) and sociodemographic status were not significantly different between the two groups. But smoking, increased BMI, older age, presence of hiatus hernia, and peptic ulcer diseases were significantly associated with GERD compared with the non-GERD group.

CONCLUSION

In our results, there was no association between H. pylori infection and erosive GERD. Further studies are recommended.

Breakfast skipping and prevalence of heartburn syndrome among Iranian adults

PURPOSE

Limited data are available linking breakfast consumption to Heart Burn Syndrome (HBS). This study was done to investigate to find whether breakfast consumption is associated with HBS. This cross-sectional study was done to investigate the association between breakfast consumption and HBS among Iranian adults.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed among 4763 general adults of Isfahan, Iran. Participants' patterns of breakfast eating were assessed by asking two questions from them. How often do you eat breakfast in a week?" Participants were able to respond as: "never or 1 day/wk", "2-4 days/wk", "5-6 days/wk", "every day". HBS was defined as the presence of HBS at sometimes, often or always using a Persian version of validated self-administered modified ROME III questionnaire.

RESULTS

Totally, 4763 patients with HBS completed this cross-sectional study, where about 32.4% of them intake breakfast less than one time per week. After controlling for potential confounders, participants who consumed breakfast every day had a 43% lower risk for having HBS as compared with those who had breakfast ≤ 1 times/wk (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.41-0.80). A significant inverse relationship was found between breakfast consumption and frequent than scare HBS (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.40-0.77) among the whole population, not in patients with HBS. No significant association was observed between breakfast intake and severity of HBS (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.31-1.04).

CONCLUSION

We found an inverse association between frequency of breakfast consumption and odds of HBS as well as the frequency of HBS among the adult population. Prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Decline incidence in upper gastrointestinal bleeding in several recent years: data of the Japan claims database of 13 million accumulated patients

This study was to examine the recent trends in upper gastrointestinal bleeding in Japan using a large-scale real-world database. The incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding was evaluated in the Japan Medical Data Center claims database of 13,019,713 patients aged 20 to 74 years with traceability for 3 months from 2009 to 2014. The incidence was compared with peptic ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The prescription of medications was also evaluated. The incidence of bleeding was 0.137%, 0.121%, 0.113%, 0.106%, 0.099%, and 0.105% during 2009 to 2014 with a time-dependent decline (p<0.001). Peptic ulcers (>10 times higher than the incidence of bleeding) decreased with time (p<0.001), whereas gastroesophageal reflux disease increased (p = 0.006). Upper gastrointestinal bleeding was higher in male patients and older patients (60–74 years old) (p<0.001 respectively). The prescription rate of antithrombotic medications and proton pump inhibitors increased from 2009 to 2014 (p<0.001 respectively). The incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding decreased from 2009 to 2014 in this relatively large-scale real-world database in Japan, concomitant with the decrease in peptic ulcers. The decreased incidence might have been due to changes in the disease structure and therapeutic strategies over time.

Helicobacter pylori infection in rehabilitation staff younger than 35 years: Infection surveillance for three years

Background:

Screening for Helicobacter pylori infection is important because of the high risk of gastric cancer development. The H. pylori carrier rate among elderly Japanese patients is still high; therefore, rehabilitation (RH) workers who are in frequent contact with such individuals could be assumed to be at a higher risk of H. pylori infection.

Aim/Objective:

We surveyed RH workers to investigate the initial occurrence of H. pylori infections in adults.

Methods:

Urine samples of RH workers aged < 35 years were screened for H. pylori antibodies to confirm infection. H. pylori infection rates were stratified according to the type of RH work and duration of employment. Infection surveillance was performed at six-month intervals for H. pylori-negative individuals.

Findings/Results:

The H. pylori infection rate among 173 workers was 16.8%. Infection rates were 26.3%, 16.3% and 15.3% among speech, occupational and physiotherapists, respectively. The employment duration was divided into < 24, 24–47, 48–60 and ⩾ 61 months; the respective infection rates were 5.0%, 12.0%, 17.6% and 28.6%. However, no new H. pylori infection was detected in a total of seven surveillance studies of H. pylori-negative workers over a three-year period.

Discussion:

The results of the initial examination showed that the infection rate increased with the duration of employment. However, subsequent surveillance detected no new H. pylori infections.

A Helicobacter pylori screening and treatment program to eliminate gastric cancer among junior high school students in Saga Prefecture: a preliminary report

BACKGROUND

To present the strategies and preliminary findings of the first 3 years after implementing a Helicobacter pylori screening and eradication program to prevent gastric cancer in Saga Prefecture.

METHODS

A screening and treatment program to eradicate H. pylori from third-grade junior high students was started in Saga Prefecture in 2016, using local governmental grants. Screening was with urinary anti-H. pylori antibody tests, followed by H. pylori stool antigen tests for students who were antibody positive. Those positive on both tests underwent H. pylori eradication by triple therapy based on a potassium-competitive acid blocker.

RESULTS

From 2016 to 2018, the participation rate was 83.1% and the H. pylori infection rate was 3.1% (660/21,042). The participation rates were higher in 2017 (85.4%) and 2018 (85.9%) compared with 2016 (78.5%) (P < 0.0001), and the infection rate also decreased in a time-dependent manner (2016: 3.6%, 2017: 3.3%, 2018: 2.5%, P = 0.0001). In total, 501 students positive for H. pylori received eradication therapy (85.1% success) and adverse events occurred in 20 of these (4.0%). However, no serious complications occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

The H. pylori screening and eradication project for school students in Saga Prefecture has started successfully and we have seen both a steady increase in the participation rate and a steady decrease in the infection rate, without major safety concerns.

Correlation of Barrett's esophagus with colorectal polyps in Japanese patients: A retrospective chart review

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Barrett's esophagus and colorectal polyps have several overlapping risk factors. Whereas several reports in Western countries have indicated a close relationship between Barrett's esophagus and colorectal polyps, the relationship between these two diseases remains unclear in Japan. This study was performed to determine whether the prevalence of Barrett's esophagus is related to that of colorectal polyps in Japanese patients.

METHODS

The present retrospective chart review included 1582 Japanese patients who underwent both total colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy from January 2010 to December 2016. The data on colorectal polyps and Barrett's esophagus were obtained from the endoscopic findings. The medical record of each patient was checked for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol drinking, use of acid suppression agents, and comorbidities including a history of diabetes, ischemic heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal hernia, and Helicobacter pylori infection.

RESULTS

Colorectal polyps were detected in 789 of the 1582 patients (49.9%). Barrett's esophagus was detected in 233 patients (14.7%), and most cases of Barrett's esophagus (n = 229) were classified as short-segment Barrett's esophagus. Colorectal polyps were more frequent in patients with than without Barrett's esophagus (odds ratio, 1.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-2.46; P < 0.001). In addition to Barrett's esophagus, the data indicated that old age, male sex, obesity, smoking, alcohol drinking, diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease were independent risk factors for colorectal polyps.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study revealed the correlation between the prevalence of Barrett's esophagus and colorectal polyps in Japanese patients.

Helicobacter pylori and nonmalignant upper gastrointestinal diseases

The review of the most important recent publications concerning the relation of Helicobacter pylori with peptic ulcer disease (PUD), noninvestigated and functional dyspepsia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is presented. H. pylori remains the main etiopathogenetic factor in complicated and uncomplicated PUD. Nevertheless, the role of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and aspirin is increasing. The novel data did not confirm that PUD caused by NSAIDs and aspirin is less symptomatic. The role of glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, and antidepressants seems to be of some importance. Although the involvement of H. pylori in functional dyspepsia is controversial, several data support the importance of H. pylori-induced gastritis in the pathogenesis of dyspeptic symptoms. Recent interventional studies have reported that H. pylori eradication improves dyspepsia mainly in areas with a high prevalence of this bacterium. Novel data regarding the relation of gastrointestinal peptides, ghrelin and obestatin, with H. pylori infection are also presented. Intriguing findings support the involvement of the gastric microbiota in the causation of chronic functional dyspepsia. Finally, some data concerning negative, positive, or neutral associations of H. pylori with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were published. In this context, today there is no evidence indicating that H. pylori eradication could worsen the symptoms or the course of GERD.

Higher frequency of upper gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy young Japanese females compared to males and older generations

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in upper gastrointestinal symptoms between generations and genders in relatively healthy Japanese subjects.

METHODS

Altogether, 4086 healthy Japanese male and female (M/F) adults (M/F: 2244/1842) were analyzed. Among them, 3505 subjects (M/F: 1922/1583) were underwent a routine medical checkup at one of five hospitals in Saga, Japan from January 2013 to December 2013. The others were 581 (M/F: 322/259) healthy young volunteers at the Saga Medical School from April 2007 to March 2013. The participants were asked to complete the frequency scale for the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflex disease (FSSG) questionnaire, undergo upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and submit to a rapid urease test to diagnose Helicobacter pylori infection. Among the 4086 subjects, the 2414 who had no H. pylori infection and no positive endoscopic findings were enrolled in the study.

RESULTS

Subjects' average age was 46.9 ± 12.2 years, with males' and females' ages being almost equivalent. The total FSSG score were high in females compared to males (P < 0.01) and decreased significantly with aging (P < 0.05). Among the generations, FSSG scores were the highest for those 20-29 years old, and they were significantly decreased with ageing in both males and females (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The FSSG score was significantly higher in healthy Japanese females than in males, and the scores decreased with aging.