Urinary 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine excretion in children before and after therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection

Abstract

Aim: A number of reports have implicated oxygen free radicals in the pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)‐associated disease. 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) has recently been accepted as a sensitive marker for reflecting the oxidative DNA damage. However, there have been no previous studies comparing the changes in urinary 8‐OHdG excretions before and after therapy for eradication of H. pylori infection, or to examine 8‐OHdG excretions in children with H. pylori infection. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the DNA damage in gastric mucosal cells in children with H. pylori infection. Methods: Urinary 8‐OHdG excretions were measured before and after therapy for eradication of H. pylori infection in 15 children diagnosed with the H. pylori infection and 13 parents who were also suffering from the same infection. Results: In both the children and their parents, no significant differences were found in urinary 8‐OHdG excretions either before or after the eradication therapy. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in urinary 8‐OHdG excretions between 8 children with peptic ulcers and 7 children without ulcers, either before or after the therapy. Conclusion: These results suggest that measurement of urinary 8‐OHdG levels is not useful for evaluation of the DNA damage in H. pylori‐infected gastric mucosa in children.