Effect of ecabet sodium treatment on urea breath test and stool antigen tests in volunteers with Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Ecabet sodium is reported to have a bactericidal effect on Helicobacter pylori and inhibit urease activity in vitro.

METHODS

Seven male volunteers (mean age, 51.3 years; range, 45-55 years) with H. pylori infection were medicated with 1 g ecabet sodium t.i.d. for 4 weeks. The urea breath test (UBT) was performed 10 times per person: before medication, seven times in 2 weeks, and once in the third and fourth weeks. Stool antigen tests (HpSA PLUS and Testmate pylori antigen) were performed five times per person: before medication and weekly during medication.

RESULTS

The premedication UBT value ranged from 4.9 ‰ to 77.4 ‰ and from 2.9 ‰ to 44 ‰ at the end of the treatment period. Not one of the subjects had a negative UBT result during medication. The optical densities of the HpSA and Testmate pylori antigen tests ranged from 0.4 to > 3.0 premedication and from 0.0 to > 3.0 at the end of treatment. HpSA and Testmate pylori antigen were negative in two cases.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, ecabet sodium did not effect the results of UBT in volunteers with H. pylori infection. Ecabet sodium may influence stool antigens because in two of seven cases the H. pylori stool antigen tests returned negative results.