Abstract
BACKGROUND: The incidence of an infection with Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori rises with age, mostly affecting children.The infection rate of Helicobacter pylori increases with age, primarily affecting children. The rate of cases of disease of the hands, feet, and mouth (HFMD), an infectious illness that mostly affects newborns and young children and is ubiquitous throughout the Asia-Pacific area, declines with age. Asthma, shigellosis, TB, anaphylactic disease, and other diarrheal illnesses are all prevented by H. pylori. It also has a strong correlation with infectious disorders brought on by infection with pathogens including Orientia tsutsugamushi, HIV, HCV, and Brucella abortus. Nonetheless, the status of infection with H. pylori in individuals already infected with HFMD and the clinical implications of CagA(+) H. pylori strains remain unreported. METHODS: From October 2020 to October 2023, 130 children clinically diagnosed with HFMD enrolled in the observation group at the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical College of Nationalities and the People's Hospital of Beihai. With respect to gender, age, and location of residence, 150 chronologically matched healthy children made up the control group. Serum H. pylori antibodies in patients were measured, and the strain was identified through the Western blot technique. RESULTS: 1. The frequency of infections with H. pylori with the prevalence of CagA + strains were found to be 16.2% and 8.5%, respectively, in patients with HFMD. These figures are lower than the 29.3% and 18.0% that are seen in healthy children, respectively (P-value < 0.05 for both). 2. The infection rate of the bacteria H. pylori and CagA + strains was found to be 18.5% and 9.3% in HFMD patients over 5 years of age, which is lower than the 41.5% and 26.2% observed in healthy children over 5 years, respectively (P-value < 0.05). In contrast, the rate of H. pylori and CagA + strains in HFMD patients aged 5 years and below was comparable to that of healthy children in the same age group, with both results showing no statistically significant differences. 3. H. pylori and CagA + strain prevalence were similar in primary and subsequent HFMV infections, although neither was statistically significant. 4.The findings of the univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that vaccination against HFMD and infection with H. pylori CagA + were protective factors against HFMD (0.203; 0.069-0.593; 0.004). CONCLUSION: When compared to children in good health, individuals with HFMD had much lower levels of Helicobacter pylori infection. Additionally, H. pylori that carries the CagA gene could be able to prevent the development of HFMD.