Effect of gastric acidification on the (14)C-UBT HELIPROBE(®) accuracy during Pantoprazole treatment in Helicobacter pylori positive patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of using Citric Acid on false negative rates induced by PPIs during (14)C-UBT in dyspeptic patients with H. pylori infection. In a crossover randomized controlled clinical trial, one hundred dyspeptic patients (46 females and 54 males) with determined H. pylori infection who referred to gastrointestinal Outpatient Clinic of Razi Hospital-Rasht, Iran. All the patients underwent a (14)C-UBT HELIPROBE(®) baseline test and the positive ones entered the second phase. They were divided randomly to two groups and started PPIs treatment by Pantoprazole (20 mg/daily Pantozol(®) Nycomed Company) and underwent two other UBTs in days 12-13 and 14-15 with and without 4 grams Citric Acid. In group I who underwent UBT with Citric Acid in days 12-13 (UBT2) and UBT without Citric Acid in days 14-15 (UBT3), there was no significant difference between the UBT results with and without Citric Acid (P≥0.05). In group II who underwent UBT without Citric Acid in days 12-13 and UBT with Citric Acid in days 14-15, the false negative rates were not significantly different between UBT with and without Citric Acid (P≥0.05). In both groups the results of UBT without Citric Acid after Pantoprazole consumption didn't change significantly compared to the baseline UBT. Also the difference between the false negative rates of baseline UBT and UBT without citric acid was not significant (P>0.05). These results suggest that acidification of gastric environment during (14)C-UBT cannot prevent false negative results and do not increase the accuracy of the test in patients taking PPIs.