Long-term follow-up of 13C-urea breath test results after Helicobacter pylori eradication: frequency and significance of borderline delta13CO2 values.
Aliment Pharmacol Ther
; 23(2): 275-80, 2006 Jan 15.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-16393307
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The precise choice of cut-off point for the 13C-urea breath test to define whether it is positive or negative represents a controversial issue.AIM:
To quantify the 13C-urea breath test result for several years following Helicobacter pylori eradication, and to evaluate the frequency and the significance of borderline delta13CO2 values.METHODS:
Two-hundred H. pylori eradicated patients confirmed by 13C-urea breath test (100 mg of urea, citric acid), and having had repeated this test yearly up to 5 years, were studied. Delta13CO2 values between 2 and 5/1000 were considered as borderline results.RESULTS:
Eight H. pylori recurrences were observed during 406 patient-years of follow-up (1.97% yearly). In two of eight reinfected patients, the reinfection was preceded by a negative delta13CO2 value >2/1000. Borderline delta13CO2 values were detected in 4% of the 606 urea breath tests performed, and in 25% when only patients in whom H. pylori recurrence was detected in subsequent urea breath tests were included (P < 0.05). The negative-predictive value of a post-treatment delta13CO2 >2/1000 for the diagnosis of H. pylori recurrence was 99%.CONCLUSIONS:
Positive and negative urea breath test results tend to cluster outside the range between 2/1000 and 5/1000. Nevertheless, a borderline urea breath test delta value (e.g. very close to the selected cut-off point) should be interpreted cautiously, and the result should probably be confirmed either by repeating the urea breath test or by other diagnostic methods. On the contrary, a delta13CO2 value <2/1000 very confidently confirms H. pylori eradication.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Breath Tests
/
Helicobacter pylori
/
Helicobacter Infections
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Aliment Pharmacol Ther
Journal subject:
FARMACOLOGIA
/
GASTROENTEROLOGIA
/
TERAPIA POR MEDICAMENTOS
Year:
2006
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Spain