AUTHOR=Kakiuchi Toshihiko , Takamori Ayako , Matsuo Muneaki 

TITLE=High Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Special Needs Schools in Japan

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2021.697200

DOI=10.3389/fped.2021.697200

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Developmental disorders and high <italic>Helicobacter pylori</italic> (<italic>H. pylori</italic>) infection rates have been reported. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of <italic>H. pylori</italic> in a special needs school where all students had developmental disorders in Japan.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> In 2017, third-grade junior high school and second- and third-grade high school students attending a special needs school with developmental disorders were enrolled. Participants of Saga Prefecture's <italic>H. pylori</italic> test and treat project, which comprised third-grade junior high school students not from special needs school, were assigned to the control group.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> In the control group, <italic>H. pylori</italic> positive results were 3.18% (228/7,164) students. Similarly, in developmental disorder group, <italic>H. pylori</italic> positive results were 6.80% (13/191) students. For the developmental disorder and control groups, this present examination sensitivity was 7.03% (13/185), specificity was 96.76% (6,815/7,043), positive predictive value was 5.39% (13/241), negative predictive value was 97.54% (6,815/6,987), Likelihood ratio of a positive result 2.17 and Odds ratio was 2.26 (95% confidence interval: 1.27–4.03, <italic>p</italic> = 0.005).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> The prevalence of <italic>H. pylori</italic> infection was significantly higher in adolescents with developmental disorders than in typically developing adolescents.</p>