Choosing triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori in children: antimicrobial resistance testing of first gastric biopsy culture may predict outcome.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N Kalach.
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Outcome of Helicobacter pylori infection was analyzed in 61 children treated with a triple therapy including clarithromycin. Bacterial eradication was obtained in all children with clarithromycin-susceptible strains but not in children with clarithromycin-resistant ones (P = 0.0001). H. pylori antimicrobial susceptibility is mandatory before choosing a treatment, and clarithromycin should be avoided in case of resistance.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of resistance to amoxicillin, metronidazole, and clarithromycin before treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in children and to assess the evolution of resistance with time. The study was carried out between 1994 and 1999 with 150 H. pylori-positive children through gastric culture (antimicrobial susceptibility) and histology. All cultured H. pylori strains were sensitive to amoxicillin, 64 (43%) were resistant to metronidazole, 32 (21%) were resistant to clarithromycin, and 14 (9%) were resistant to both metronidazole and clarithromycin. The overall prevalence of resistance to metronidazole and clarithromycin did not change significantly with time. The study highlights the generalized high-level and stable metronidazole and clarithromycin resistance of H. pylori strains from children.
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OBJECTIVE: To analyse to what extent age may alter intestinal permeability (IP) in children and to assess its reliability according to clinical manifestations in cow's milk allergy (CMA). DESIGN: A routine prospective study was performed in 200 children (12.5+/-23 mo, 0.5-168 mo) presenting with clinical manifestations suggesting CMA. Controls (n = 105) were those with a negative cow's milk challenge, whereas CMA children (n = 95) fulfilled ESPGHAN criteria. Permeability was measured as a percentage of urinary excretion of lactitol (L, %) and mannitol (M, %) (0.1 g/kg for each, oral absorption after a 6 h fast, 5 h urine collection, analysis by gas chromatography) and determination of the L/M ratio (L/M, %). RESULTS: In control children, L/M correlated negatively with age (r -0.33, p = 0.0006), whereas in those with CMA no correlation was found. Median L/M was significantly higher in CMA children (n = 95) than in controls (n = 105), 4.35+/-7.57% (95% CI 5.30-8.39%) vs 1.97+/-0.87% (95% CI 1.76-2.09%), (p = 0.0001). With a L/M cut-off value defined as mean + 2 SD of controls, in CMA IP exhibited a 68% sensitivity and a 77% negative predictive value. The highest sensitivity (70%) was seen at ages 6-12 mo and the lowest (58%) at age more than 3 y. An abnormal IP was seen in 80% of CMA children with digestive manifestations, in 43% with extra-digestive, 68% with mixed and 40% with anaphylactic manifestations. CONCLUSION: IP correlates negatively with age in control children and is altered in children with CMA. The test is at its most accurate in the diagnosis of CMA when done at ages 6-12 mo, when there are digestive manifestations.
Helicobacter pylori infection is frequent in children. Its incidence in Europe, around 6% in children aged 6-16 years, varies with the socio-economic level and nutritional status. It may reach 46% in Africa and up to 75% in some institutions. Clinical manifestations debated. Vomiting, dyspepsia and acute pain related to ulcer disease may undisputedly be linked to H. pylori, whereas its role in chronic abdominal has yielded contradictory reports. Direct isolation of the bacterium is classically done through perendoscopic antral biopsies followed by culture and histology. Non-invasive diagnosis methods get a wider use in children. Serodiagnosis is reproducible and easy only in older children. The 13C-urea breath test is sensitive and specific, and seems perfectly suitable in pediatrics. The H. pylori stool antigen test for the detection of infection seems promising but not yet of current clinical use. Triple therapy using amoxicillin-clarithromycin (or metronidazole or tinidazole) and anti-secretory agents is recognised as the most efficient association.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a newly developed enzyme immunoassay kit (HpSA) for detecting Helicobacter pylori antigens in the stool of children. This study was comprised of 58 children referred to various endoscopy units for evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms and upper gastroduodenal endoscopy and 11 children for post-therapy follow-up. In the first group, 23 children were diagnosed as positive for Helicobacter pylori using bacteriological and/or histological methods. Stool antigens were detected in 20 of these positive patients, for a sensitivity of 86.9% and a negative predictive value of 91.9%. Since only one false-positive reaction was observed with the HpSA kit, the specificity was 97.1% and the positive predictive value 95.2%. Results obtained for post-therapy follow-up were also promising. The HpSA assays were negative for the eight children whose infections were eradicated after therapy, and a positive result was obtained for two of three patients who had a persistent infection.
BACKGROUND: The easiest way to identify the presence of current or past Helicobacter pylori infection is to test for antibodies. The aim of this study was to compare an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique based on the detection of IgG antibodies directed against a global antigenic preparation with immunoblotting based on the analysis of IgG antibody reactivity to separate proteins. METHODS: Sera were collected from 80 children (mean age, 9.9 +/- 4.3 years). The reference tests were microbiologic and histologic examination of gastric biopsies obtained at upper endoscopy. RESULTS: The immunoblotting was more sensitive (100%) and specific (88%) than ELISA (96 and 79%, respectively) in the evaluation of H. pylori infection in children. Its positive predictive value was 92%, and its negative predictive value was 100%. The best performance index of immunoreactive bands to detect antibodies was obtained with the 26-kDa (88.7%), 30-kDa (77.5%) and 19.5-kDa (70%) antigens. Antibodies by immunoblot technique against the CagA antigen were present in 43.1% of children. CONCLUSION: Immunoblotting is highly sensitive and more specific than ELISA in children and provides additional information about the full serologic profile. Immunoblotting may therefore be a useful complement to serology, particularly in cases with doubtful ELISA results.
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A new semiquantitative enzyme immunoassay (Platelia Helicobacter pylori; Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur, France) was evaluated and compared with two other serological assays (Gap-test IgG; Bio-Rad, France; and Cobas Core; Roche, Switzerland) for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in children. The three tests were compared with the examination of biopsy samples obtained from 160 dyspeptic subjects (mean age, 9 +/- 4.7 years). Discrepant results were studied using an immunoblot technique. The response obtained for the Platelia assay in children was significantly lower than that obtained in a previously described population of 92 adults (Helicobacter pylori-negative mean ratios, 0.376 vs. 0.504, P<0.000783; Helicobacter pylori-positive mean ratios, 1.95 vs. 2.67, P<0.000003). Thus, the optimal cut-off for children (0.80) was lower than the one recommended for adults (1.10). According to the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and to the Wilcoxon value, the Platelia and Cobas Core assays showed the highest discriminatory properties (Wilcoxon value, 0.94 for both) compared with the Gap-test IgG (Wilcoxon value, 0.91). When the newly established cut-off value (0.80) was used, the performance of Platelia was equivalent to that of Cobas Core (sensitivity: 94.4% for each; respective specificities, 86.8% and 90.6%). The Gap-test IgG had a lower sensitivity (maximum, 79%) and a higher specificity (maximum, 95.3%), but there were difficulties in interpretation because its grey zone encompassed 12% of the sera. In conclusion, the results showed good performance of the Platelia Helicobacter pylori assay and confirmed the merit of a specific cut-off value for use of this test in children.
BACKGROUND: Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is an autosomic recessive metabolic affection. Children affected by SLOS exhibit a defect in cholesterol biosynthesis associated with a high concentration of cholesterol precursor 7 dehydrocholesterol (7 DHC) and its isomers, which is due to an enzymatic block at the level of delta-7-DHC reductase. SLOS has been subdivided into two types on the basis of clinical severity: type I is the classic and type II is the severe one. CASE REPORT: A full term female was born from a pregnancy complicated by oligoamniosis and intra-uterine growth retardation. The neurologic status was immediately impaired with severe hypotonia, absence of reflexes, and abnormal crying. She exhibited multiple congenital anomalies with a facial dysmorphia, anomalies of members, unicornus uterus and a pyloric stenosis. Plasmatic concentration exhibited a normal cholesterolemia contrasting with an elevated level of 7 and 8 DHC. Major alimentary tract defect led to enteral and parenteral nutrition. The severe neurological defect led to death on the 16th day of life. CONCLUSION: Despite normal blood cholesterol levels that can be attributed to enteral and parenteral nutrition, the severity of clinical findings and the lethal course permit to classify this case as type II.
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UNLABELLED: Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) is associated with a number of inflammatory ENT disorders in the adult and is correlated with recurrent croup in the child. AIM: To estimate the frequency of GOR in a population of children consulting for chronic laryngotracheal symptoms. METHOD: The study included 17 children, aged between 2 and 14 years (mean: 7 years) all of whom suffered from dysphonia or a chronic cough. After a clinical ENT examination, each child had a fibreoptic laryngoscopy and a long duration pH-study lasting between 18 and 24 hours. RESULTS: Pathological GOR was discovered in 10 children, i.e. 59%. Overall the number of refluxes per study varied from 6 to 816 (mean 156). The vast majority of these refluxes occurred when the child was awake. CONCLUSION: In our series of children with chronic laryngotracheal disorders, at least 59% were shown to suffer from pathological GOR.
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UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of H pylori infection in a Parisian children population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During a 3-year period, H pylori infection was investigated in 623 children admitted to our hospital. Children were enrolled into two groups; either a symptomatic children group with clinical gastritis manifestations as infant colics or recurrent abdominal pain for more than 3 months in whom H pylori infection was suspected, or a control children group with growth retardation of more than -2 standard deviation (SD). Ethnic origin for all enrolled children was identified. A written parental consent was obtained for all children. H pylori infection was identified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Cobas Core Roche, IgG, 2nd generation, Roche, France). RESULTS: H pylori infection was identified in 99 children out of 623 (15.8%). There was no difference between the two groups of children for age, sex, ethnic origin and prevalence of H pylori infection. The prevalence of H pylori infection was widely dependent on age and rose regularly with an annual acquisition rate of 2.1%. The prevalence of this infection varied from 1.8% during the first year of life to 30% in 15-year-old children. CONCLUSION: The latter prevalence is quite similar to that found in adults, suggesting that infection might occur in early life.
Helicobacter pylori gastric infection in children is a public health problem. Classical diagnostic tools such as endoscopy are excessively invasive in the usual clinical context. Serology at this age has multiple drawbacks. The urea-13C breath test seems today the most appropriate alternative method. The principle of the test relies upon the indirect detection of H pylori through its high urease activity. The test uses a stable (ie, non radioactive) isotope, which allows its repeated use. The main indications are the detection and the follow-up of H pylori infection.