Experience of Chita the program of the Scientific Society of Gastroenterologists of Russia and Russian Scientific Medical Society of Internal Medicine “Physicians without helicobacteriosis”
Authors: Luzina E. V. , Lazebnik L. B. , Lareva N. V. , Chartorizhskaya N. N. , Dutova A. A. , Melnikov V. V. , Mutsolgova T. B. 
Published: June 2020

Objective.To determine the prevalence ofHelicobacter pylori(HP) in doctors in Chita, to identify clinical manifestations of infection, endoscopic, ultrasound and morphological changes in the stomach, to conduct eradication treatment with an assessment of its effectiveness, to determine the resistance of HP to clarithromycin and to develop treatment tactics for HP-associated diseases in the region.

Material and methods.70 doctors of Chita were examined, including 55 women and 15 men, average age 47.04±12.76 years (20 persons were 39 years and younger, 33 persons were 40–59 years, 17 people were 60 years and older; 27 persons were gastroenterologists, 17 — therapists, 11 — pediatricians, 5 — surgeons and 10 persons were doctors of other specialties). All doctors underwent antigen (AH) of HP determination in feces, a survey on the original questionnaire to assess clinical manifestations. Ultrasound examination of the stomach was performed in 47 doctors. Endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract (GI) was performed in 35 persons. During endoscopy, in 29 doctors biopsy material of the mucous membrane from 5 points of the stomach were taken. A histological examination of biopsy samples was performed with an assessment using the OLGA system. The resistance of HP to clarithromycin was determined by the molecular genetic method in biopsy samples of gastric biopsy. 44 doctors conducted eradication with different schemes. Adverse events (AE) and treatment tolerance were evaluated. Control of eradication was carried out 6–8 weeks after the end of therapy by determining AH of HP in the feces. Statistical processing was carried out using the method of descriptive statistics, criterion of Student and criterion x2(Biostatprogramm).

Results.A positive AH of HP in feces was registered in 71.4% of the doctors examined: 73.3% of men and 70.9% of women, 75% of people under the age of 39 years, 72.7% of those aged 40–59 years and 64.7% are over 60 years old. Gastroenterologists were infected in 63%, therapists in 70.6%, pediatricians in 72.7%, surgeons in 80%, another specialists in 90% of cases. In the presence of HP, 81.6% of the examined showed symptoms from the digestive organs, 3 times more often a hereditary history of stomach cancer was determined. The wall thickness of the stomach during ultrasound in the infected was recorded 0.21–0.18 mm more than in the group of HP-negative individuals. A histological examination of III–IV degree of activity of inflammation in the stomach was diagnosed in 86.1%, stage III atrophy and colonic metaplasia in 20.7% of the examined doctors. The desire to conduct eradication treatment was expressed by 78% of doctors, 44 people completed the therapy. Non-compliance with the eradication regimen was noted in 9 people. AE were registered in 76.6% of cases. The efficacy of all regimens was 71.4%: when using the regimen with clarithromycin — 73%, with josamycin — 100%, with tetracycline and metronidazole — 33%, with levofloxacin — 100%. HP DNA was detected in 27 samples of gastric. In 10 cases, mutations A2142G and A2143G in the HP genome were detected, providing resistance to clarithromycin, which amounted to 37%.

Conclusion

1. 71.4% of doctors in Chita are infected with HP, among which the bacterium is most often detected at a young age (39 years and younger).

2. Infected doctors are more likely to have gastrointestinal symptoms, a history of gastric damage, and hereditary gastric cancer.

3. In 20.7% of doctors, histological examination revealed colonic metaplasia and dysplasia, which confirms the need for treatment and requires further observation.

4. Only 78% of Chita doctors expressed their readiness to eradicate HP, and 20.4% of those who started treatment did not comply with the treatment regimen. This fact requires further educational activities.

5. The efficacy of eradication by all schemes was 71.4%. Genotypic resistance of HP to clarithromycin was found in 37% of doctors. Further studies are needed to identify the characteristics of the macro- and microorganism (genetic polymorphism of enzymes, HP mutations) in groups, both among doctors and other categories of patients who do not have professional contacts with microorganisms and antibiotics in order to develop recommendations on the use of HP eradication schemes in region.