The association between Helicobacter pylori infection and inflammatory bowel disease in children: A systematic review with meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Available literature has reported the association of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in adults. However, only a few studies have addressed the disease in children. AIM: To ascertain the correlation of H pylori infection with IBD among children. METHODS: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the association between H pylori infection and IBD in children. We searched databases including Cochrane, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science to select relevant studies. Ultimately, based on predetermined inclusion criteria, we included 6 studies that met the requirements. Review Manager and Stata software were used to extract and analyze the data from the relevant studies. In the methods, we employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches for comprehensive analysis. Qualitative analysis involved describing study designs, sample characteristics, and results, while quantitative analysis involved statistical tests such as calculating pooled risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals to evaluate the association between H pylori infection and IBD in children. Lastly, by combining the results of the individual studies, our objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between H pylori infection and IBD in children. RESULTS: In totality, we involved 2236 participants that were recruited in 6 studies. We detected no significant difference in H pylori prevalence (9.8% vs 12.7%, P = .12) by comparing the children IBD group to controls. Among the IBD children, we estimated odds ratio (OR) of H pylori infection to 0.62 [(95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.34–1.12)]. In children suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn disease (CD), the H pylori infection rates were higher than in those with IBD-unclassified (IBDU).When analyzed stratified by disease of study design, In CD group [OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 0.72–2.80)] (I(2) = 0%, P = .64). but no significant difference in CD group. CONCLUSIONS: No correlation was found between H pylori infection and the occurrence of IBD in children.