Fiona Campbell, Cuong D Tran Bruce Johnson, Ross N Butler.
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (2000) Volume 31 Supplement 2: S130

World Congress of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, 5-9 August 2000, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori exceeds 30% in Australian adults. The prevalence in Australian children is not known. Antibiotic resistance to this pathogen is increasing worldwide therefore strategies to both prevent and eradicate H. pylori without creating resistant organisms are needed. H.pylori is thought to be acquired in childhood and unless eradicated to remain throughout life. Thus paediatric populations are at high risk of infection and the logical target population to derive a benefit from a low cost preventative formulation. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of specific hyperimmune bovine colostrum (HBC) in the prevention of H. pylori infection in mice. Three groups were examined, skim milk (n = 9), saline (n = 20) and HBC obtained from cows vaccinated with inactivated H. pylori (n = 31). These were administered twice daily by orogastric gavage as a 20% (w/v) liquid preparation and also included as 5% (w/v) supplement of normal feed from day 0 to day 7. Mice were challenged intragastrically with 108 viable H. pylori (Sydney strain 1) on day 1 and the extent of H.pylori colonisation of the stomach was assessed on day 8 by histology. Results: HBC significantly suppressed colonisation (p<0.01) in both the body and antrum of the stomach by 43% (mean ± SEM; 14.2 ± 1.0 organisms per high powered field) versus skim milk (24.8 ± 1.8 organisms per high powered field). A similar significant reduction (28%; p<0.01) in colonisation was noted when the HBC group was compared to those receiving saline.

CONCLUSION: These results show that this HBC diminishes the ability of the H. pylori to infect and suggests that a search for more effective higher titre formulations is warranted for both prevention and as adjunctive therapy.