Assessment of Helicobacter pylori Antibodies and Stool Antigens in Pediatric Patients with Epigastric Pain: Diagnostic Insights and Clinical Implications

Abstract

Objective: To assess the H. pylori antibodies and stool antigens in paediatric patients with epigastric pain as well as the clinical implications of diagnosing H. pylori infection using these non-invasive methods.

Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted over a period of 12 months, from May 2023 to October 2023, at the Paediatric Department of Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Muzaffarabad, AJK.  Patients aged 5 to 12 years old, both genders, who presented with a history of epigastric pain for at least more than 30 days were included. A 5 ml venous blood sample was obtained for serological testing, and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was used to detect immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against H. pylori. Stool samples were collected for the stool antigen test (SAT), and tests were done using a commercially available monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. A self-made study proforma was used for the data collection, and analysis of the data was done by SPSS version 26.

Results: Out of total study sample of 61, girls were in the majority (62.3% and boys were 37.7%, with an overall mean age of 8.60+3.35 years. Of the participants, 63.9% (39) tested positive for H. pylori antibodies, while 36.1% (22) tests were negative. For H. pylori antigens, 90.2% (55) of the children tested positive, whereas 9.8% (6) tested negative. Furthermore, the differences in H. pylori antibody and H. pylori antigen positivity based on gender and residential status, consumption of junk food, and sources of water were not statistically significant (p=0.>0.05).

Conclusion: The findings, with 63.9% testing positive for H. pylori antibodies and 90.2% for H. pylori antigens, underscore a notable prevalence of H. pylori infection among children with recurrent abdominal pain.