Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Jun 15;3(3):80-4.
doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v3.i3.80.

Gender-associated differences in urea breath test for Helicobacter pylori infection referrals and results among dyspeptic patients

Menachem Moshkowitz  1 , Noya Horowitz, Anat Beit-Or, Zamir Halpern, Erwin Santo
Affiliations

Gender-associated differences in urea breath test for Helicobacter pylori infection referrals and results among dyspeptic patients

Menachem Moshkowitz et al. World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. .

Abstract

Aim: To verify whether there is a gender difference in the (13)C-urea breath test results in a large cohort.

Methods: The test results of dyspeptic patients referred for (13)C-urea breath testing between January and December, 2007 were evaluated. Testing was carried out at the health insurance organization branches and evaluated at a central laboratory in Israel.

Results: Of a total of 28 746 test results, 18 122 (63.04%) were from females and 10 624 (36.95%) from males. Overall, 10 188 (35.4%) results [expressed as delta over baseline (DOB)] were positive (DOB (13)C > 5), 18,326 (63.7%) were negative (DOB (13)C < 3.5) and 232 (0.8%) were borderline (DOB (13)C 3.5-5). There was a significant difference between the total positive rate among females and males (34.8% vs 37.2%, respectively, P = 0.0003). The mean test value was increased by approximately 10 units for females compared to males (P < 0.01) and this difference was consistent for all age groups (i.e., between 10-80 years of age, P < 0.01).

Conclusion: More females were referred to (13)C-urea breath testing. More males had positive results. The mean test values were significantly higher among females of all age groups, possibly representing an increased bacterial load among females and suggesting gender-associated differences in Helicobacter pylori host interactions.

Keywords: Dyspepsia; Gender; Helicobacter pylori; Urea breath test.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of 13C-urea breath test referrals according to gender and age group.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of 13C-urea breath test results according to gender. UBT: Urea breath test.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean 13C-urea breath test values in males and females according to age group. DOB: Delta over baseline.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Malfertheiner P, Megraud F, O'Morain C, Bazzoli F, El-Omar E, Graham D, Hunt R, Rokkas T, Vakil N, Kuipers EJ. Current concepts in the management of Helicobacter pylori infection: the Maastricht III Consensus Report. Gut. 2007;56:772–781. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zagari RM, Bazzoli F, Pozzato P, Fossi S, De Luca L, Nicolini G, Berretti D, Roda E. Review article: non-invasive methods for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. Ital J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 1999;31:408–415. - PubMed
    1. Graham DY, Klein PD. Accurate diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori. 13C-urea breath test. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2000;29:885–893, x. - PubMed
    1. Khulusi S, Mendall MA, Patel P, Levy J, Badve S, Northfield TC. Helicobacter pylori infection density and gastric inflammation in duodenal ulcer and non-ulcer subjects. Gut. 1995;37:319–324. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bayerdörffer E, Lehn N, Hatz R, Mannes GA, Oertel H, Sauerbruch T, Stolte M. Difference in expression of Helicobacter pylori gastritis in antrum and body. Gastroenterology. 1992;102:1575–1582. - PubMed