Prospective Multicenter Surveillance of Non–H. pylori Helicobacter Infections during Medical Checkups, Japan

Abstract

To evaluate non–H. pylori Helicobacter (NHPH) infections in Japan, we enrolled 673 consecutive patients who underwent gastric endoscopy during annual medical checkups at 4 hospitals during April 2022–February 2023. We collected intragastric fluid and serum samples to detect NHPH infection by PCR and serologic tests. The prevalence of NHPH was 3% (20/673); 70% (14/20) of patients were infected with H. suis and 30% (6/20) with non–H. suis NHPH species. All 14 H. suis–infected patients were men and had a history of pork offal ingestion. Among non–H. suis NHPH-infected patients, 50% (3/6) owned pet cats, whereas only 22% (145/667) of other patients owned cats. Endoscopic evaluation revealed marbled crack-like gastritis was present in 93% (13/14) of H. suis–infected patients, a significantly higher prevalence than for H. pylori–infected (28.6%) and H. pylori eradication therapy (27.6%) groups. Pork offal ingestion and having pet cats increase risk for Helicobacter spp. infections.

Keywords

• Helicobacter infections
• Helicobacter suis
• Helicobacter pylori
• NHPH
• non–Helicobacter pylori Helicobacter
• gastric endoscopy