Screening to Identify and Eradicate Helicobacter pylori Infection in Teenagers in Japan

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the prevalence and effect of Helicobacter pylori infection in Japanese teenagers. The study subjects were students ages 16 to 17 from one high school studied between 2007 and 2013. Students who tested positive on this screening examination underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and biopsy samples to determine their H pylori status using culture and histology. Cure of H pylori infections was determined by urea breath test. The low rate of prevalence of H pylon infection in present Japanese teenagers makes it possible and cost effective to perform examinations and carry out treatment of this infection in nationwide health screenings of high school students.