Gender-associated differences in urea breath test for Helicobacter pylori infection referrals and results among dyspeptic patients

AIM: To verify whether there is a gender difference in the 13C-urea breath test results in a large cohort. METHODS: The test results of dyspeptic patients referred for 13C-urea breath testing between January and December, 2007 were evaluated. Testing was carried out at the health insurance organization branches and evaluated at a central laboratory in Israel. RESULTS: Of a total of 28 746 test results, 18 122 (63.04%) were from females and 10 624 (36.95%) from males. Overall, 10 188 (35.4%) results [expressed as delta over baseline (DOB)] were positive (DOB 13C > 5), 18,326 (63.7%) were negative (DOB 13C < 3.5) and 232 (0.8%) were borderline (DOB 13C 3.5-5). There was a significant difference between the total positive rate among females and males (34.8% vs 37.2%, respectively, P = 0.0003). The mean test value was increased by approximately 10 units for females compared to males (P < 0.01) and this difference was consistent for all age groups (i.e., between 10-80 years of age, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: More females were referred to 13C-urea breath testing. More males had positive results. The mean test values were significantly higher among females of all age groups, possibly representing an increased bacterial load among females and suggesting gender-associated differences in Helicobacter pylori host interactions.