Curative effect of Saccharomyces boulardii sachets on chronic gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori infection in children and its impact on the levels of serum inflammatory factors

Abstract

Objective: To determine the curative effect of Saccharomyces boulardii sachets on chronic gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in children and its impact on the levels of serum inflammatory factors. Methodology: A total of 80 children with Hp-positive chronic gastritis were selected and randomly divided into two groups, with 40 cases in each group at Baoding Children’s Hospital from May 13, 2020 to April 05, 2021. Children in the control group were treated with modified triple-therapy for anti-Hp treatment. Based on treatment in the control group, children in the study group were provided with Saccharomyces boulardii sachets (0.25 g each time, twice a day) for four weeks. Analysis were carried out on changes of symptoms and signs such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and abdominal tenderness, changes of nutritional indexes such as hemoglobin, albumin and serum ferritin, changes of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and changes of gastroscopy results before and after treatment. Results: After treatment, the scores of gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and abdominal tenderness in the study group significantly improved compared with those in the control group (p<0.05). Hemoglobin, albumin, serum iron and ferritin levels increased significantly in the study group compared with the control group (p≤0.05). After treatment, levels of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-6 statistically significantly declined in the study group compared with those in the control group (TNF-α and IL-6, p≤0.05). After treatment, the detection rate of moderate-severe gastric mucositis decreased to 17.5% and 40% in the study and control groups, respectively. The therapeutic effect in the study group was better than that in the control group (p≤0.05). There was no significant difference in the negative conversion rate of Hp between the two groups after treatment (p≤0.05). Conclusion: In the treatment of Hp-positive chronic gastritis children, a combined treatment using Saccharomyces boulardii sachets based on anti-Hp therapy was a safe and effective therapeutic option that can significantly improve gastric mucosal inflammation, gastrointestinal symptoms and nutritional indexes. However, it had no obvious advantage in the negative conversion rate of Hp in children when compared with simple anti-Hp therapy.