Fat malabsorption assessed by 14C-triolein breath test in HIV-positive patients in different stages of infection: is it an early event?

The aim of this study was to evaluate fat absorption in HIV-positive (HIV+) patients in different phases of HIV infection using a 14C-triolein breath test. We distributed 47 HIV+ patients according to the 1993 Centers for Disease Control Revised Classification: 20 in Group 2 (A1 or A2) and 27 in Group 3 (B1, B2, A3, B3, or C). Ten HIV-negative healthy subjects comprised the control group (Group 1). All individuals underwent a 14C-triolein breath test. Parasitic infection was evaluated through three stool exams, including Cryptosporidium and Isospora investigation. The median value of cumulative 6 hours' 14C excretion expressed as percentage of the 14C given as triolein was significantly higher in Group 1 (8.4%) than Group 2 (5.5%) or Group 3 (3.4%), p = 0.04 and p << 0.01, respectively. Fat malabsorption was found in 25% of Group 2 individuals, 52.6% of those without diarrhea in Group 3, and was correlated with CD4+ lymphocyte counts (p << 0.01). Fat malabsorption is a common feature in advanced stages of HIV infection, even in the absence of diarrhea and is also present in asymptomatic HIV+ patients. These findings suggest that malabsorption is an early event in HIV-infected individuals and is correlated with the degree of immunosuppression.

Duodenal ulcer and eradication of Helicobacter pylori in a developing country. An 18-month follow-up study.

Forty-eight patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer (DU) and Helicobacter pylori infection detected by 14C-urea breath test (BT) were assigned to 5 days of treatment with furazolidone, metronidazole, and amoxicillin in addition to eventual classical anti-ulcer agents if necessary. Clinical evaluation and BT were repeated at 2, 6, and 18 months after therapy to determine H. pylori eradication or reinfection. Endoscopy was also repeated at 6 and 18 months after treatment to detect DU relapse. In 29 (60%) patients H. pylori had been eradicated at 2 months after therapy, and in 19 (40%) infection persisted. After successful eradication, 6 of 29 (20.7%) were reinfected. All 24 patients who were negative at the 18-month evaluation were asymptomatic, free of anti-ulcer drugs, and with healed ulcers, whereas among the 19 positive patients followed up, 11 (57%) continued to be symptomatic and still using anti-ulcer agents (p less than 0.010), and 10 (53%) showed active ulcers at endoscopy (p less than 0.010). H. pylori eradication is clearly followed by long-term remission of DU. Reinfection may be an additional problem in treating DU patients in developing countries.

Five-day bismuth-free triple therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori and reduction of duodenal ulcer relapse.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is associated with a significant reduction of the rate of duodenal ulcer (DU) relapse. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term effect of a bismuth-free triple therapy on the eradication of H. pylori and reduction of DU relapse. After informed consent, 61 patients with endoscopically proven DU and H. pylori infection detected on 14C-urea breath test (BT) were included in the study. All patients received a combination of furazolidone, amoxicillin, and metronidazole, three times a day, for 5 days, in addition to eventual classical antiulcer agents prescribed by their attending physicians. BT was repeated after an interval of at least 60 days to evaluate H. pylori eradication. Endoscopy and another BT were performed again at 6.5 months after therapy to detect possible recurrences. Forty-eight patients completed the trial: 26 (54%) patients were negative for H. pylori at 6.5 months after the end of treatment, and 22 (46%) persisted H. pylori positive. Ninety-two percent of the patients in whom the bacteria were eradicated showed endoscopically healed ulcers and were asymptomatic, and two that were symptomatic presented only occasional pain not requiring therapy. Among the 22 patients who persisted H. pylori positive, six (27%) showed endoscopically active ulcers (p = 0.012) and eight (36%) patients continued to be symptomatic (p less than 0.01), and were still using antiulcer drugs (p = 0.002) 6.5 months after treatment. It is concluded that combined treatment with furazolidone, amoxicillin, and metronidazole for 5 days represents a well-tolerated, inexpensive, and effective therapeutic regime for the eradication of H. pylori and abolition of DU relapse in more than 50% of the patients during a follow-up period of 6.5 months.

[14C-urea breath test to diagnose gastric Helicobacter pylori colonization]. / Test respiratoire à l'urée marquée au carbone-14 pour le diagnostic de la colonisation gastrique par Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), ex-Campylobacter pylori, is now considered to be the causative agent of active chronic gastritis in humans and may be diagnosed by histology, gram-stain, culture, urease test or noninvasively by 14C-urea breath test. The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of the breath test as compared with the microbiological (culture) "gold standard". Forty-one subjects were studied. Gastroscopy was performed in all participants and 2 antral mucosa biopsy specimens were taken for urease test and microbiological (gram-stain and culture) studies. The breath test was performed within one week after the gastroscopy. After fasting overnight, a control breath sample was obtained and a standard meal was offered to delay gastric emptying. Then, the participants drank 5 microCi of 14C-urea in 20 ml of water and breath samples were collected at 10, 15, 30 and 60 min in a hyamine-ethanol solution with a p-H indicator. A repeat test was performed in 9 subjects to assess test reproducibility. Twenty-nine subjects (71 percent) were Hp positive and 12 (29 percent) H. pylori negative. A highly significant difference (p less than 0.0001) was observed in 14CO2 exhalation in colonized and non-colonized subjects in samples collected at all times studied. As compared with culture we found that the breath test was 97 percent sensitive and 100 percent specific. We conclude that 14C-urea breath test is a simple, inexpensive, sensitive, and reliable method to detect H. pylori colonization. It is a useful test to epidemiologic and therapeutic trials.