Most gastric cancers are caused by infection with the common human bacterial pathogen, Helicobacter pylori. It is now accepted that gastric cancer can be prevented and virtually eliminated by H. pylori eradication and this knowledge was responsible for country-wide H. pylori eradication combined with secondary cancer prevention for those with residual risk that was introduced in Japan in 2013. Korea is a high H. pylori prevalence and high gastric cancer incidence country and a good candidate for a gastric cancer elimination program. The presence of an H. pylori infection is now considered as an indication for treatment of the infection. However, antimicrobial drug resistance is common among H. pylori in Korea making effective therapy problematic. Country-wide studies of the local and regional antimicrobial resistance patterns are needed to choose the most appropriate therapies. H. pylori and gastric cancer eradication can be both efficient and cost effective making it possible and practical to make Korea H. pylori and gastric cancer free. There is no reason to delay.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/*therapeutic use ; Disease Eradication ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Helicobacter Infections/*drug therapy/epidemiology/microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori/*drug effects/growth & development ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Primary Prevention/*methods ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Stomach Neoplasms/epidemiology/microbiology/*prevention & control ; Treatment Outcome

Helicobacter pylori can cause variety of upper gastrointestinal disorders such as peptic ulcer, mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-lymphoma, and gastric cancer. The prevalence of H. pylori infection has significantly decreased in Korea since 1998 owing to active eradication of H. pylori. Along with its decrease, the prevalence of peptic ulcer has also decreased. However, the mean age of gastric ulcer increased and this is considered to be due to increase in NSAID prescription. Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in Korea and Japan, and IARC/WHO has classified H. pylori as class one carcinogen of gastric cancer. Despite the decreasing prevalence of H. pylori infection, the total number of gastric cancer in Korea has continuously increased from 2006 to 2011. Nevertheless, the 5 year survival rate of gastric cancer patients significantly increased from 42.8% in 1993 to 67% in 2010. This increase in survival rate seems to be mainly due to early detection of gastric cancer and endoscopic mucosal dissection treatment. Based on these findings, the prevalence of peptic ulcer is expected to decrease even more with H. pylori eradication therapy and NSAID will become the main cause of peptic ulcer. Although the prevalence of gastric cancer has not changed along with decreased the prevalence of H. pylori, gastric cancer is expected to decrease in the long run with the help of eradication therapy and endoscopic treatment of precancerous lesions.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/adverse effects ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/complications/*epidemiology ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/drug therapy/epidemiology ; Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/epidemiology ; Peptic Ulcer/epidemiology/etiology ; Prevalence ; Stomach Neoplasms/etiology/mortality/pathology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The connection between Helicobacter pylori and complicated peptic ulcer disease in peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB) patients taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has not been established. In this study, we sought to determine whether delayed H. pylori eradication therapy in PUB patients increases complicated recurrent peptic ulcers. METHODS: We identified inpatient PUB patients using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. We categorized patients into early (time lag < or =120 days after peptic ulcer diagnosis) and late H. pylori eradication therapy groups. The Cox proportional hazards model was used. The primary outcome was rehospitalization for patients with complicated recurrent peptic ulcers. RESULTS: Our data indicated that the late H. pylori eradication therapy group had a higher rate of complicated recurrent peptic ulcers (hazard ratio [HR], 1.52; p=0.006), with time lags of more than 120 days. However, our results indicated a similar risk of complicated recurrent peptic ulcers (HR, 1.20; p=0.275) in time lags of more than 1 year and (HR, 1.10; p=0.621) more than 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori eradication within 120 days was associated with decreased complicated recurrent peptic ulcers in patients with PUB. We recommend that H. pylori eradication should be conducted within 120 days in patients with PUB.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Helicobacter Infections/*drug therapy ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Patient Readmission/*statistics & numerical data ; Peptic Ulcer/complications/*epidemiology/microbiology ; Peptic Ulcer Hemorrhage/complications ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Recurrence ; Time-to-Treatment/*statistics & numerical data ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Female ; Helicobacter Infections/*drug therapy ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Male ; Patient Readmission/*statistics & numerical data ; Peptic Ulcer/*epidemiology ; Time-to-Treatment/*statistics & numerical data

The efficacy of seven-day clarithromycin-based standard triple therapy (STT) for Helicobacter pylori has decreased in Korea over the past decade. The aim of this meta-analysis was to clarify the efficacy of first-line and second-line therapies in Korea. This systematic review will provide an overview of H. pylori eradication and present new therapeutic strategies used in Korea. An extensive search of the literature concerning STT, sequential therapy (SET), concomitant therapy (CT), bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (BCQT) and various other therapies used in Korea was performed. All selected studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Eighteen RCTs were eligible for systematic review. The alternative regimens comparing seven-day STT as a first-line therapy include SET, CT, levofloxacin-based therapy (LBT), BCQT, and STT with prolonged duration. The results of the meta-analysis suggest that SET is superior to seven-day STT. The overall eradication rate by intention to treat (ITT) analysis was 69.8% for STT and 79.7% for SET. The overall eradication rate by per-protocol (PP) analysis was 77.0% for STT and 85.0% for SET. The odds ratios for the ITT and PP eradication rate were 0.57 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43 to 0.74) and 0.52 (95% CI, 0.35 to 0.76), respectively. In the subgroup analysis, however, there were no significant differences between SET and STT with prolonged durations. Alternative regimens to seven-day BCQT as second-line therapy include LBT, moxifloxacin-based therapy and 14-day BCQT. The eradication rates of these alternative regimens were not superior to that of the conventional treatment. SET is superior to seven-day STT but not to STT with prolonged duration.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/*administration & dosage/classification ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Female ; Helicobacter Infections/*drug therapy/*epidemiology/microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori/*drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Practice Patterns, Physicians'/*statistics & numerical data ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Assessment ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) eradication therapy on prognosis in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP).

METHODSA total of 153 children with HSP were divided into Hp infection treatment group (n=22), Hp infection control group (n=21), and Hp infection-negative group (n=110). The Hp infection treatment group received one-week triple therapy for Hp eradication in addition to conventional treatment, while the Hp infection control group and Hp infection-negative group received conventional treatment. All patients were followed up for prognostic evaluation.

RESULTSThe response rates of the Hp infection treatment, control, and negative groups were 86% (19/22), 90% (19/21) and 85% (94/110), respectively (P>0.05). The recurrence rates of HSP in the Hp infection treatment, control, and negative groups were 14% (3/22), 24% (5/21) and 31% (34/110), respectively (P>0.05). The incidence of Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) in the Hp infection-negative group (36%, 40/110) and control group (33%, 7/21) was significantly higher than that in the Hp infection treatment group (5%, 1/22) (P<0.05 for both), but no significant difference in the incidence of HSPN was found between the control and negative groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSOne-week triple therapy for Hp eradication may be useful to reduce the incidence of HSPN in children with HSP infected with Hp.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Helicobacter Infections ; complications ; drug therapy ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prognosis ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Recurrence

Dyspepsia refers to group of commonly occurring upper gastrointestinal symptoms. The majority of patients with dyspepsia suffer from functional (nonulcer) dyspepsia. Although there is a lack of epidemiological data from population-based or patient cohort studies in Korea, the current understanding of this condition has been updated using data from various recent research studies, which have facilitated the development of clinical guidelines for functional dyspepsia. According to a survey using the Rome III criteria, more than 40% of respondents who visited primary clinics and tertiary hospitals were defined as having functional dyspepsia, most of who were within a subgroup of patients with postprandial distress syndrome. In addition, a population-based cross-sectional survey revealed considerable overlap between functional dyspepsia and other functional gastrointestinal disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (especially nonerosive reflux disease) and irritable bowel syndrome. In contrast to the results of Western trials, there is insufficient evidence to recommend a Helicobacter pylori test-and-treat strategy as an initial management approach to functional dyspepsia in Korea, suggesting the need for early endoscopic evaluation. Additional studies are necessary to adjust the cutoff age for implementation of immediate endoscopic evaluation of patients without alarm symptoms. Considering the prevalence of H. pylori infection and the limited efficacy of symptomatic relief after its eradication, further well-qualified studies in Korea are warranted.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; *Dyspepsia/diagnosis/epidemiology/microbiology/therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; *Helicobacter Infections/diagnosis/drug therapy/epidemiology/microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori/*pathogenicity ; Humans ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVEThis article aimed to review the incidence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and its therapy.

DATA SOURCESRelevant articles published in English were identified by searching in PubMed from 2000 to 2013, with keywords "H. pylori". Important references from selected articles were also retrieved from Elsevier, Wiley, EBSCO, and SPRINGER. The Chinese articles published were searched from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI).

STUDY SELECTIONArticles about "prevalence", "gastric carcinoma", "peptic ulcer", "gastroesophageal reflux disease", "functional dyspepsia", "pathogenic mechanism", "therapy", "eradication rate", "antibiotic resistance", and "gene polymorphisms" were selected.

RESULTSThe decreased infection rates of H. pylori could also be linked to the changed disease spectrum, such as the decreased morbidity and recurrence rate of H. pylori-related peptic ulcer, and the increased morbidity of gastroesophageal reflux. Although different treatment regimens have been used for H. pylori infection, the H. pylori eradication rate declined gradually. Due to primary resistance to antibiotics, the gene polymorphism of host and infected strain, and the therapy regimes, H. pylori eradication became even more difficult.

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of H. pylori infection had been decreasing, but the rate of eradication failure has dramatically risen in many countries due to resistance to antibiotic. H. pylori therapy in clinical practice is becoming progressively more difficult.

Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; genetics ; Helicobacter Infections ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; Helicobacter pylori ; drug effects ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Humans

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea shows a decreasing trend and has changed to that of developed country, especially for those below 30 years old. However, the primary antibiotic resistance rates are higher than those of developed countries. The reason for the decrease in the efficacy of standard triple therapy is mainly due to the increase in the resistance against clarithromycin. Sequential therapy seems to be more effective than the standard triple therapy, but the intention-to-treat eradication rate of sequential therapy in Korea, which is mostly under 80.0%, is still not satisfactory. Therefore, a promising regimen is needed. Recently, the Japanese health insurance system admitted 'H. pylori-infected gastritis' as an indication of eradication. Furthermore, the Kyoto Consensus Meeting on H. pylori Gastritis held from January 30th to February 1st, 2014, proposed that 'all H. pylori positive patients should be offered to receive H. pylori eradication'. This suggests that the concept of eradication has been changed from 'treatment' to 'prevention'. Various individualized tailored therapy based on the polymorphism, age and other demographic factors and antibiotic resistance has been attempted to maximize H. pylori eradication therapy. The aim of this article is to review the current epidemiology, H. pylori resistance state, treatment guideline, and to assess the possible future strategy and treatment for H. pylori infection in Korea.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases/genetics/metabolism ; Clarithromycin/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Disease Eradication/trends ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Guidelines as Topic ; Helicobacter Infections/*drug therapy/epidemiology ; *Helicobacter pylori/drug effects ; Humans ; Quinolones/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Republic of Korea ; Treatment Failure

OBJECTIVETo confirm whether eradication of H. pylori is associated with the occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

METHODSWe searched multiple medical databases for published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from 2000 to 2012 comparing the incidence of GERD in adult patients receiving H. pylori treatment and those without treatment. The effects of H. pylori eradication were analyzed by calculating the pooled estimates for the number of new cases of GERD. Each racial subgroup of patients was analyzed using risk ratio (RR) by fixed effects models. The publication bias was assessed with funnel plot, Egger and Begg's test.

RESULTSSixteen eligible RCTs were finally included in the analysis. Statistically analysis suggested H. pylori eradication was significantly correlated with the occurrence of GERD (RR 1.89, 95% CI 1.50-2.40). Funnel plot, Egger or Begg's test revealed no publication bias.

CONCLUSIONH. pylori may have a positive effect on GERD especially in Asian patients and those with long-term follow-up, and eradication of H. pylori may cause GERD.

Gastroesophageal Reflux ; epidemiology ; etiology ; microbiology ; Helicobacter Infections ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic