Does Administration of Radioactive Iodine have any Effect on Helicobacter Pylori Infection?
Background: Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) is the most important cause of gastritis and related morbidities. Following consumption, radioactive iodine accumulates considerably in the stomach. Based on this observation, we decided to find whether the high radiation induced by radio-iodine on stomach is effective in eradication of this infection.
Method: All consecutive patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, who were referred for radio-iodine therapy, were enrolled. In order to detect H. Pylori infection, Urease Breath Test (UBT) was performed 1-2 hours before radio-iodine consumption and was repeated two months later.
Results: Out of 88 patients, 71 patients had pre-treatment positive UBT. Of these, 23 patients had negative post-treatment result, which means a significant reduction (26.1%, 95%CI: 16.8%-35.5%) in the number of positive UBT results with treatment.
Conclusion: Considering high prevalence of reinfection in developing countries, the therapeutic benefit would be more considerable if the second UBT was done with a lag time of less than two months. Although it is not a logical method for treatment of patients suffering from H. Pylori, it is an indirect evidence about radiosensitivity of bacteria and may have future clinical applications. Regarding the possibility of H. Pylori suppression, we recommend not using UBT for screening the infection at least within two months following radio-iodine therapy.