Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in infants in rural Bangladesh with oral immunoglobulins from hyperimmune bovine colostrum

Background: Antibodies from hyperimmune bovine colostrum have been shown to be effective in treatment against a variety of microorganisms, including Helicobacter pylori in adults. Aim: To test this form of treatment in a small group of H. pylori infected children in a periurban community in Bangladesh. Methods: Twenty-four infants, 4-29 months old (mean age 16.5 ± 7.7 months) and infected with H. pylori, were treated with purified immunoglobulins from hyperimmune bovine colostrum for 1 month, in a placebo-controlled, double- blind pilot study. Diagnosis was established with ¹³C-urea breath test (UBT) before and after the treatment period and at a 1-month follow-up. Results: None of the hyperimmune bovine colostrum-treated children became UBT negative. Five children initially positive in the UBT screening spontaneously became negative by the start of the study with hyperimmune bovine colostrum/placebo. At the end of the 1-month study period, three had became positive again. Conclusion: Hyperimmune bovine colostrum does not eradicate H. pylori infection in infants. Transient H. pylori infection is common among infants in high endemic areas, as is reinfection after clearance. This presents obstacles to evaluation of therapeutic investigations in young children in areas where H. pylori is prevalent.