Roma Eleftheria, Panayiotou Joanna, Pachoula Joanna, Kafritsa Yota, Constantinidou Catherin, Mentis Andreas, Syriopoulou Vassiliki
First Department of Pediatrics University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
J Clin Gastroenterol. 2009 Sep;43(8):711-5. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0b013e318192fd8a.
To find out the role of family members in the Helicobacter pylori infection in childhood by investigating the incidence of infection within families of H. pylori-infected children.
H. pylori infection is usually acquired in early childhood and possibly family members are the main source of infection.
One hundred consecutive children with upper gastrointestinal symptoms, without previous H. pylori eradication treatment were prospectively studied by gastroscopy and C-urea breath test. Simultaneously, all family members were studied by C-urea breath test regardless of earlier eradication treatment for H. pylori infection. The age of children and their parents, socioeconomic status, parents' education, and living conditions were recorded.
Forty-four index symptomatic children were infected by H. pylori. No statistical difference was found concerning demographic factors, between H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative index children except age, which was higher in the H. pylori-infected children (P=0.009). In all H. pylori-positive and in 71.4% of the negative index children, at least 1 more family member was infected (P<0.001), always including a parent in the H. pylori-positive, compared with 69.6% in the H. pylori-negative group (P<0.001). The percentage of infected siblings, mothers and fathers was higher in H. pylori-infected index children (P<0.001, P=0.001, and P=0.035, respectively).
The prevalence of H. pylori infection is significantly higher among families of infected index children. The presence of at least 1 infected family member in all H. pylori-positive index children suggests that the family could be the main source of H. pylori infection in children.
通过调查幽门螺杆菌（H. pylori）感染儿童家庭内的感染发生率，以明确家庭成员在儿童幽门螺杆菌感染中的作用。
幽门螺杆菌感染通常在儿童早期获得，家庭成员可能是主要感染源。
对100例有上消化道症状且未曾接受过幽门螺杆菌根除治疗的儿童进行前瞻性胃镜和C - 尿素呼气试验研究。同时，所有家庭成员无论之前是否接受过幽门螺杆菌感染的根除治疗，均进行C - 尿素呼气试验。记录儿童及其父母的年龄、社会经济状况、父母教育程度和生活条件。
44例有症状的指标儿童感染了幽门螺杆菌。除年龄外，幽门螺杆菌阳性和阴性指标儿童在人口统计学因素方面未发现统计学差异，幽门螺杆菌感染儿童的年龄更高（P = 0.009）。在所有幽门螺杆菌阳性的指标儿童中以及71.4%的阴性指标儿童中，至少有1名以上家庭成员感染（P < 0.001），幽门螺杆菌阳性组中总是包括1名父母，而幽门螺杆菌阴性组为69.6%（P < 0.001）。幽门螺杆菌感染指标儿童的感染同胞、母亲和父亲的百分比更高（分别为P < 0.001、P = 0.001和P = 0.035）。
感染指标儿童家庭中幽门螺杆菌感染的患病率显著更高。所有幽门螺杆菌阳性指标儿童中至少有1名感染家庭成员，这表明家庭可能是儿童幽门螺杆菌感染的主要来源。
