BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Municipal solid waste workers (MSWWs) are important in the city’s waste management. With these vital contributions, they face unique occupational hazards and health risks. This study aims to determine the prevalence of occupational infections, such as soil-transmitted helminth infections (STHI) and hepatitis A virus (HAV), as well as the occurrence of Helicobacter pylori infection among the MSWWs of Baguio City.

This cross-sectional analytic study collected data from volunteer MSWWs using a questionnaire to gather information on age, duration of employment, use of gloves in the workplace, and hand hygiene practices. Stool samples were obtained from participants and were analyzed for STHI using the Formalin Ether Concentration Technique (FECT). H. pylori infection was detected using the SD Bioline rapid antigen test kit on stool samples while blood samples were collected and tested for HAV antibodies using the Aria IgG/IgM rapid test kit.

Of the 44 volunteer MSWWs tested, 25 were infected with hazardous pathogens. Specifically, six workers (13.6%) were infected with STHI, four (9.1%) were infected with HAV and 15 (34.1%) were infected with H. pylori. Among those infected with STHI, Ascaris lumbricoides and Endolimax nana were the predominant species, each with a prevalence rate of 33.3%. In contrast, Blastocystis hominis and hookworm infections each had a prevalence rate of 16.7%. A significant association was found between STHI prevalence and the preference for alcohol hand rubs over hand washing, with a p-value of 0.008.

The analysis revealed a significant association between the prevalence of STHI and the preference for alcohol hand rubs over hand washing, suggesting that MSWWs may have a false sense of security regarding their hygiene practices. The findings revealed the critical importance of proper hand washing in preventing STHI. Future research should expand data collection to encompass a broader range of socio-demographic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that may influence infection rates. Additionally, including a control group of individuals not exposed to waste management could help differentiate between factors specific to waste handling and those related to other occupations. This study emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts among researchers, public health authorities, and waste management agencies to enhance the health and safety of MSWWs while addressing broader public health concerns related to waste management practices.

Background and Objectives: Municipal solid waste workers (MSWWs) are important in the city’s waste management. With these vital contributions, they face unique occupational hazards and health risks. This study aims to determine the prevalence of occupational infections, such as soil-transmitted helminth infections (STHI) and hepatitis A virus (HAV), as well as the occurrence of Helicobacter pylori infection among the MSWWs of Baguio City. Methods: This cross-sectional analytic study collected data from volunteer MSWWs using a questionnaire to gather information on age, duration of employment, use of gloves in the workplace, and hand hygiene practices. Stool samples were obtained from participants and were analyzed for STHI using the Formalin Ether Concentration Technique (FECT). H. pylori infection was detected using the SD Bioline rapid antigen test kit on stool samples while blood samples were collected and tested for HAV antibodies using the Aria IgG/IgM rapid test kit. Results: Of the 44 volunteer MSWWs tested, 25 were infected with hazardous pathogens. Specifically, six workers (13.6%) were infected with STHI, four (9.1%) were infected with HAV and 15 (34.1%) were infected with H. pylori. Among those infected with STHI, Ascaris lumbricoides and Endolimax nana were the predominant species, each with a prevalence rate of 33.3%. In contrast, Blastocystis hominis and hookworm infections each had a prevalence rate of 16.7%. A significant association was found between STHI prevalence and the preference for alcohol hand rubs over hand washing, with a p-value of 0.008. Conclusion The analysis revealed a significant associat ion between the prevalence of STHI and the preference for alcohol hand rubs over hand washing, suggesting that MSWWs may have a false sense of security regarding their hygiene practices. The findings revealed the critical importance of proper hand washing in preventing STHI. Future research should expand data collection to encompass a broader range of socio-demographic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that may influence infection rates. Additionally, including a control group of individuals not exposed to waste management could help differentiate between factors specific to waste handling and those related to other occupations. This study emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts among researchers, public health authorities, and waste management agencies to enhance the health and safety of MSWWs while addressing broader public health concerns related to waste management practices.
Human ; Hepatitis A virus (HAV) ; Helicobacter pylori

BACKGROUND: Given the general unavailability, common adverse effects, and complicated administration of tetracycline, the clinical application of classic bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) is greatly limited. Whether minocycline can replace tetracycline for Helicobacter pylori ( H . pylori ) eradication is unknown. We aimed to compare the eradication rate, safety, and compliance between minocycline- and tetracycline-containing BQT as first-line regimens. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 434 naïve patients with H . pylori infection. The participants were randomly assigned to 14-day minocycline-containing BQT group (bismuth potassium citrate 110 mg q.i.d., esomeprazole 20 mg b.i.d., metronidazole 400 mg q.i.d., and minocycline 100 mg b.i.d.) and tetracycline-containing BQT group (bismuth potassium citrate/esomeprazole/metronidazole with doses same as above and tetracycline 500 mg q.i.d.). Safety and compliance were assessed within 3 days after eradication. Urea breath test was performed at 4-8 weeks after eradication to evaluate outcome. We used a noninferiority test to compare the eradication rates of the two groups. The intergroup differences were evaluated using Pearson chi-squared or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Student's t -test for continuous variables. RESULTS: As for the eradication rates of minocycline- and tetracycline-containing BQT, the results of both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses showed that the difference rate of lower limit of 95% confidence interval (CI) was >-10.0% (ITT analysis: 181/217 [83.4%] vs . 180/217 [82.9%], with a rate difference of 0.5% [-6.9% to 7.9%]; PP analysis: 177/193 [91.7%] vs . 176/191 [92.1%], with a rate difference of -0.4% [-5.6% to 6.4%]). Except for dizziness more common (35/215 [16.3%] vs . 13/214 [6.1%], P = 0.001) in minocycline-containing therapy groups, the incidences of adverse events (75/215 [34.9%] vs . 88/214 [41.1%]) and compliance (195/215 [90.7%] vs . 192/214 [89.7%]) were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The eradication efficacy of minocycline-containing BQT was noninferior to tetracycline-containing BQT as first-line regimen for H . pylori eradication with similar safety and compliance. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, ChiCTR 1900023646.
Humans ; Bismuth/therapeutic use* ; Metronidazole/therapeutic use* ; Esomeprazole/pharmacology* ; Minocycline/pharmacology* ; Helicobacter pylori ; Potassium Citrate/therapeutic use* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Tetracycline/adverse effects* ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Amoxicillin

BACKGROUND: With the development of traditional Chinese medicine research, berberine has shown good efficacy and safety in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of triple therapy containing berberine, amoxicillin, and vonoprazan for the initial treatment of H. pylori. METHODS: This study was a single-center, open-label, parallel, randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients with H. pylori infection were randomly (1:1:1) assigned to receive berberine triple therapy (berberine 500 mg, amoxicillin 1000 mg, vonoprazan 20 mg, A group), vonoprazan quadruple therapy (vonoprazan 20 mg, amoxicillin 1000 mg, clarithromycin 500 mg, colloidal bismuth tartrate 220 mg, B group), or rabeprazole quadruple therapy (rabeprazole 10 mg, amoxicillin 1000 mg, clarithromycin 500 mg, colloidal bismuth tartrate 220 mg, C group). The drugs were taken twice daily for 14 days. The main outcome was the H. pylori eradication rate. The secondary outcomes were symptom improvement rate, patient compliance, and incidence of adverse events. Furthermore, factors affecting the eradication rate of H. pylori were further analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 300 H. pylori-infected patients were included in this study, and 263 patients completed the study. An intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis showed that the eradication rates of H. pylori in berberine triple therapy, vonoprazan quadruple therapy, and rabeprazole quadruple therapy were 70.0% (70/100), 77.0% (77/100), and 69.0% (69/100), respectively. The per-protocol (PP) analysis showed that the eradication rates of H. pylori in these three groups were 81.4% (70/86), 86.5% (77/89), and 78.4% (69/88), respectively. Both ITT analysis and PP analysis showed that the H. pylori eradication rate did not significantly differ among the three groups (P >0.05). In addition, the symptom improvement rate, overall adverse reaction rate, and patient compliance were similar among the three groups (P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS The efficacy of berberine triple therapy for H. pylori initial treatment was comparable to that of vonoprazan quadruple therapy and rabeprazole quadruple therapy, and it was well tolerated. It could be used as one choice of H. pylori initial treatment.
Humans ; Amoxicillin/therapeutic use* ; Helicobacter pylori ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Clarithromycin/therapeutic use* ; Rabeprazole/therapeutic use* ; Berberine/therapeutic use* ; Bismuth ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Treatment Outcome ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use*

Humans ; Child ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy* ; Helicobacter pylori ; Consensus ; East Asian People

Objective To clarify whether Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can promote metastasis of gastric cancer cells via the high-expression of induced B cell specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 (Bmi-1). Methods The gastric cancer tissue specimens from 82 patients were collected for this study. The protein and gene expression level of Bmi-1 in gastric adenocarcinoma tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry and real time quantitative PCR, respectively. And meanwhile the correlation between Bmi-1 levels and pathological features, and prognosis of gastric cancer were analyzed retrospectively. Then, the GES-1 cells were transfected with pLPCX-Bmi-1 plasmid and infected with H. pylori respectively. After the Bmi-1 overexpression in GES-1 cells, the invasion ability of the GES-1 cells was detected by Transwell assay, and the cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. Results The mRNA and protein of Bmi-1 expression in gastric cancer tissues were higher than tumor-adjacent tissue, and the high expression of Bmi-1 was positively correlated with tumor invasion, TNM stage, tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis and H. pylori infection. When expression of Bmi-1 was up-regulated as a result of H.pylori infection or pLPCX-Bmi-1 transfection, the GES-1 cells had higher invasiveness and lower apoptosis rate with the above treatment respectively. Conclusion H. pylori infection can inhibit the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells and promote their invasion via up-regulating expression of Bmi-1.
Humans ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Helicobacter Infections/genetics* ; Helicobacter pylori ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Polycomb Repressive Complex 1/genetics*

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is one of most common pathogens causing gastrointestinal disorder including gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer, etc. It has been verified as class I carcinogen by WHO. Nowadays, combination antibiotics and proton pump inhibitor are mainly used to erase Hp in clinical application. However, with the increased resistance of Hp, the vaccine against Hp might become the best strategy to eradicate Hp. Elements including urease, virulence factor, outer membrane protein, flagella, play an important role in Hp infection, colonization and reproduction. They have become potential candidate antigens in the development of Hp vaccine, as reported in previous studies. Presently, these antigens-centric vaccines have been tested in animal models. Therefore, this article reviews the studies on Hp vaccine with urease, virulence genes, outer membrane protein and flagella as their candidate antigens, in an attempt to provide insights for research in this regard.
Animals ; Helicobacter pylori ; Urease/genetics* ; Helicobacter Infections/prevention & control* ; Vaccines ; Membrane Proteins

Background: Helicobacter pylori is acknowledged to cause chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease and is also implicated in gastric carcinoma and B cell mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma development. It has infected at least half of the world’s population. Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) have been the conventional antacid of choice for H. pylori eradication triple therapy, while vonoprazan is a novel drug of its class that was recently studied but is limited to an oral form which makes it less feasible in cases of acute gastrointestinal bleeding. According to several systematic reviews and meta-analyses, the vonoprazan-based triple therapy regimen for H. pylori eradication is a non-inferior treatment to traditional PPI-based treatment when given in 1 week for patients having no active gastrointestinal bleeding. Likewise, a safety profile has been established with its use, offering an alternative treatment option. Objectives: The research aims to identify the H. pylori eradication rate among H. pylori-positive patients who received a vonoprazan-based triple therapy regimen as outpatients, describe their clinicodemographic profile, and identify potential side effects associated with the treatment. Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional study design in a single tertiary institution from January 2018 to December 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis. Frequency and percentage were utilized to determine the success and failure rates of H. pylori eradication, describe the clinicodemographic profile of patients who underwent vonoprazan-based triple therapy, and the potential side effects with treatment. The chi-square test of independence was applied to assess the significant difference in the successful and failed eradication rates across the clinicodemographic profile. A P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant, and statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 20.0. Results: 32 (91%) had successful H. pylori eradication, with the majority of them determined by a negative 13C-UBT result (62.8%) and the rest with a negative H. pylori stool antigen test (28.6%). The majority of patients undergoing H. pylori eradication using a vonoprazan-based regimen with documented successful eradication belonged to the 19 to 39 years old group (50%), clerical support workers (40.63%), with a chief complaint of abdominal pain (46.88%), with no known co- morbid illness (75%), and with endoscopic finding limited to antral gastritis alone (46.88%). This study described only two documented side effects of treatment: diarrhea and abdominal pain (2.9%). Conclusion Vonoprazan-based triple therapy, given at 20 mg twice daily for 7 days, has shown a high H. pylori eradication rate among hemodynamically stable patients, without active bleeding, and treated on an outpatient basis. There was a significant difference in eradication success and failure across co-morbidities, with a higher success rate in those without co-morbid illness. A high success rate was also seen in patients <40 years of age, with a single chief complaint, and with antral gastritis as the sole endoscopic finding.
Helicobacter pylori

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological changes of early gastric cancer, especially its background mucosa, after the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), and to investigate the causes of underdiagnosis in preoperative biopsy pathology. Methods: Ninety cases of early gastric cancer after H. pylori eradication and 120 cases of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) specimens without H. pylori eradication and their corresponding biopsy specimens were collected from Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University during 2016-2021. The clinicopathological data of the patients were analyzed, and the histopathological characteristics and immunophenotypic results compared. Results: Compared with the early gastric cancer without H. pylori eradication history, the histopathological type of early gastric cancer after H. pylori eradication was differentiated adenocarcinoma, with staggered distribution of cancerous and non-cancerous epithelium in the tumor area. The morphologic characteristics of gastric mucosa in the background of early gastric cancer after H. pylori eradication, were distinctive, including widening of the opening of enterosylated glandular ducts, serrated change of luminal margin, eosinophilic and microvesicular cytoplasm of enterosylated epithelium. Low-grade atypia existed in gastric cancer epithelial cells after sterilization, which might lead to underdiagnosis or missed diagnosis in biopsy pathology. Conclusions: Early gastric cancer and its background mucosa after H. pylori eradication have unique morphological characteristics, which can be used as a clue for pathological diagnosis, improve the accuracy of biopsy pathology and reduce the underdiagnosis.
Humans ; Helicobacter pylori ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy* ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Gastric Mucosa/pathology* ; Biopsy

Child ; Humans ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy* ; Helicobacter pylori