Association between Helicobacter pylori infection detected by the (13) C-urea breath test and low serum ferritin levels among Japanese adults

Analysis of Gastric Diseases and Their Symptoms Based on Indexes of Pepsinogen I (PGI) and Pepsinogen II (PGII): Take 1106 Patients as Samples

In this study, preoperative analysis of 1106 gastropathy patients with abdominal pain, vomiting, dyspepsia, and other symptoms was conducted. Independent sample $t$ -test and correlation analysis and other ways were used for data cleansing and analysis. Findings were as follows: (1) Samples of different genders showed significance in PGI and PGII. The PGI and PGII values of women were significantly lower than those of men. (2) Age showed a significant positive correlation with PGI and PGII, which indicates that as the age increases, the PGI and PGII values become higher. (3) There was a significant negative correlation between age and abdominal pain. This signified that the younger the patient is, the more likely they will suffer abdominal pain. (4) PGI displayed a positive correlation with abdominal pain in the digestive tract (dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, etc.). It indicated that the higher the PGI value is, the more likely the patients will suffer abdominal pain and gastrointestinal diseases (dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulcer, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, etc.). (5) PGII displayed a significant positive correlation with gastrointestinal diseases (dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulcer, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, etc.) and a negative correlation with gastropathy (acute gastritis, chronic superficial gastritis, gastric ulcer, etc.). It indicated that the higher the value of PGII is, the more likely the patients will suffer symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases (dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulcer, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, etc.), while less likely the patients will suffer gastropathy (acute gastritis, chronic superficial gastritis, gastric ulcer, etc.).

Impact of socioeconomic status and sibling number on the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection: a cross-sectional study in a Japanese population

Helicobacter pylori infection is a significant risk factor for gastric cancer. The infection is acquired mainly in early childhood and is influenced by environmental factors, including socioeconomic status and sibling number. However, the impact of socioeconomic status and sibling number on Helicobacter pylori infection has not been well studied in Japan. We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the impact of socioeconomic status, represented by education level, and sibling number on the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among 3,423 non-cancer subjects who visited Aichi Cancer Center between 2005 and 2013. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a logistic regression model adjusted for potential confounding variables. Of the 3,423 subjects, 1,459 (42.6%) were Helicobacter pylori-positive. The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection linearly decreased with increasing socioeconomic status [ORs (95% CIs) of moderate and high socioeconomic status relative to low socioeconomic status of 0.67 (0.53-0.84) and 0.43 (0.34-0.54), respectively; P trend=9.7×10^-17]. In contrast, the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection linearly increased with increasing sibling number [ORs (95% CIs) of SN 3-4 and ≥5 relative to sibling number ≤2 of 1.74 (1.47-2.06) and 2.54 (2.12-3.04), respectively; P trend=1.2×10^-24]. This study showed that socioeconomic status and sibling number were significantly associated with the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Label-free detection of pepsinogen 1 and 2 by polyethylene coating Lamb microfluidic device

Early screening of gastric cancer is a critical importance for the improvement of patients' survival rate. Here, a polyethylene coating Lamb (PE-Lamb) microfluidic device with immune layer for gastric cancer label-free detection was constructed. Two serum pepsinogen 1 (PG1) and pepsinogen 2 (PG2) biomarkers were applied to screen and predict the appearance of gastric cancer. Compared with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), this method achieved a higher sensitivity and less time (40 min vs 120 min). The limit of detections (LOD) were reached 60 pg/mL for PG1 and 30 pg/mL for PG2, which have two orders of magnitude lower than traditional ELISA. The linearity coefficient indexes (R²) for PG1 and PG2 were 0.992 and 0.953 respectively, which is similar to that of ELISA. In addition, PG1 and PG2 mixed antigens sample with human serum was detected by PE-Lamb approach, and the frequency response showed high reproducibility and specificity. The results indicate that PE-lamb diagnostic technique is a novel and promising method for high-throughput screening and early diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Changing trends in the prevalence of H. pylori infection in Japan (1908-2003): a systematic review and meta-regression analysis of 170,752 individuals

Changing trends in the prevalence of H. pylori infection in the general population over time are thought to be the main driving force behind the declining gastric cancer mortality in Japan. However, whether the prevalence of H. pylori infection itself shows a birth-cohort pattern needs to be corroborated. We performed a systematic review of studies that reported the prevalence of H. pylori infection among Japanese individuals. Meta-regression was conducted in the framework of a generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) to account for heterogeneity in the prevalence of H. pylori infection as a function of birth year. The prevalence of H. pylori infection confirmed a clear birth cohort pattern: the predicted prevalence (%, 95% CI) was 60.9 (56.3–65.4), 65.9 (63.9–67.9), 67.4 (66.0–68.7), 64.1 (63.1–65.1), 59.1 (58.2–60.0), 49.1 (49.0–49.2), 34.9 (34.0–35.8), 24.6 (23.5–25.8), 15.6 (14.0–17.3), and 6.6 (4.8–8.9) among those who were born in the year 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000, respectively. The present study demonstrated a clear birth-cohort pattern of H. pylori infection in the Japanese population. The decreased prevalence of H. pylori infection in successive generations should be weighed in future gastric cancer control programs.

An updated systematic review and meta-analysis on the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and iron deficiency anemia

BACKGROUND

We conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the prevalence of depleted iron stores among persons infected with Helicobacter pylori compared to uninfected ones. We also assessed the impact of anti-H. pylori eradication therapy plus iron therapy on ferritin and hemoglobin levels compared to iron therapy alone.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using the databases Medline, the Cochrane Library, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, and the Science Citation Index Expanded. Observational studies with methodological quality score of 13 (median score) and above, on a scale of 0-16, and all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were eligible for the meta-analyses. Pooled point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained using the random effects model.

RESULTS

Compared to uninfected persons, H. pylori-infected individuals showed increased likelihood of iron deficiency anemia (14 observational studies); pooled OR 1.72 (95% CI 1.23-2.42); iron deficiency (pooled OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.15-1.54; 30 studies); and anemia (pooled OR 1.15; 95% CI 1.00-1.32; 23 studies). Meta-analyses of seven RCTs showed increased ferritin, standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.53 (95% 0.21-0.85), but not hemoglobin, SMD 0.36 (95% -0.07 to 0.78), Pv=.1, following anti-H. pylori eradication therapy plus iron therapy as compared with iron therapy alone. Significant heterogeneity was found among studies, as well as evidence of publication bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence indicates increased likelihood of depleted iron stores in relation to H. pylori infection. H. pylori eradication therapy, added to iron therapy, might be beneficial in increasing ferritin and hemoglobin levels.

Inverse correlation between serum interleukin-6 and iron levels among Japanese adults: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that is produced by many different cell types, and plays an important role in the regulation of inflammation, immune responses, the acute-phase response, and hematopoiesis. Previous laboratory and clinical studies have shown that IL-6 causes a significant decrease in serum iron levels. Therefore, we conducted an epidemiological study to examine the association between serum IL-6 and iron levels.

METHODS

In total, 280 Japanese individuals aged 20-78 years were enrolled when they visited a clinic located in an urban area for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection tests and subsequent eradication; 65.3% were infected with H. pylori. Subjects with gastric cancer, idiopathic thrombocytopenia, or IL-6 > 10 pg/mL were excluded from the study. Serum iron and IL-6 levels were measured using the 2-nitroso-5-(N-propyl-3-sulfopropylamino) phenol method and chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay, respectively.

RESULTS

Geometric mean iron and IL-6 levels were 111.5 μg/dL and 1.77 pg/mL, respectively, for men, and 89.4 μg/dL and 1.55 pg/mL, respectively, for women. The logarithm of serum iron levels was negatively correlated with the logarithm of IL-6 levels in men (r = -0.19, p = 0.047), but not in women (r = -0.035, p = 0.65). Regression analysis, adjusted for sex, age, and H. pylori infection status, showed that the logarithm of serum iron levels was significantly associated with a decreased logarithm of IL-6 levels (β = -0.053, p = 0.041). The odds ratio for low serum iron levels adjusted for sex, age, and H. pylori infection status was 7.88 (95% CI 1.29-48.06) in those with an IL-6 level > 4 pg/mL.

CONCLUSION

Lower serum iron levels are significantly associated with higher serum IL-6 levels among Japanese adults.