Department of Pediatrics, Sapienza University of Rome, 324, I-00161 Rome, Italy.
World J Gastroenterol. 2010 Nov 7;16(41):5181-94. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i41.5181.
Although evidence is emerging that the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is declining in all age groups, the understanding of its disease spectrum continues to evolve. If untreated, H. pylori infection is lifelong. Although H. pylori typically colonizes the human stomach for many decades without adverse consequences, children infected with H. pylori can manifest gastrointestinal diseases. Controversy persists regarding testing (and treating) for H. pylori infection in children with recurrent abdominal pain, chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia, and poor growth. There is evidence of the role of H. pylori in childhood iron deficiency anemia, but the results are not conclusive. The possibility of an inverse relationship between H. pylori and gastroesophageal reflux disease, as well as childhood asthma, remains a controversial question. A better understanding of the H. pylori disease spectrum in childhood should lead to clearer recommendations about testing for and treating H. pylori infection in children who are more likely to develop clinical sequelae.
尽管有证据表明，幽门螺杆菌（H. pylori）在所有年龄段的流行率都在下降，但人们对其疾病谱的认识仍在不断发展。如果不进行治疗，H. pylori 感染将是终身的。尽管 H. pylori 通常在人类胃中定植数十年而没有不良后果，但感染 H. pylori 的儿童可能会出现胃肠道疾病。对于反复腹痛、慢性特发性血小板减少症和生长不良的儿童，是否需要检测（和治疗）H. pylori 感染仍存在争议。有证据表明 H. pylori 在儿童缺铁性贫血中的作用，但结果尚不确定。H. pylori 与胃食管反流病和儿童哮喘之间可能存在反比关系，这仍然是一个有争议的问题。更好地了解儿童期 H. pylori 的疾病谱，应该会导致更明确的建议，即对更有可能出现临床后果的儿童进行 H. pylori 感染检测和治疗。
