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Persistent H. pylori in childhood linked to specific strain profiles, future disease
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Persistent Helicobacter pylori infections that are acquired in early life are associated with specific bacterial and host factors that could lead to future disease, according to researchers.
“This study is, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive evaluation of host- and strain-related factors associated with persistence as compared to transient H. pylori infections or lack of infection among asymptomatic children under 5 years of age,” Miguel L. O’Ryan, MD, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Chile, and colleagues wrote in their study.
Starting in April 2009, the researchers prospectively enrolled a group of healthy Chilean infants (n = 221), aged 1 year, and collected stool samples every 3 months. Children who tested positive for H. pylori submitted an additional sample within 2 weeks. The children newly diagnosed with H. pylori were paired with an age-matched control who had never tested positive for the disease.
By age 3 years, one-third of participants had at least one positive stool ELISA test, and nearly 20% had persistent infection, the researchers wrote in Clinical Infectious Diseases. They also found that transient infections were not caused by antibiotic use.
Generally acquired earlier in life, persistent infections were associated with more household members and decreased breast-feeding duration.
“However, a novel finding was the increased risk for persistence in non-secretors, replicated in both of our cohorts,” the researchers wrote.
The results also demonstrated that persistent infection generated an immune response, according to the researchers. Compared with healthy controls, both transient and persistent infection groups had differential gene expression profiles, including genes linked to cancer.
“Persistent H. pylori infections are acquired early during childhood and are associated with pathogen and host-related factors and responses that may prove relevant for future development of ulcer disease or cancer, opening several research venues for prevention, and/or selective pre-emptive treatment strategies,” the researchers wrote. – by Colleen Owens
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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