Recently, chicken egg yolk was recognized as an inexpensive antibody source, and the therapeutic usefulness of egg yolk
immunoglobulin Y (
IgY) in oral passive immunization has been investigated. Although multiple
antibiotic treatments eradicate most Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)
infections,
therapy fails in 10-15% of cases due to the development of drug resistance. Consequently, it is important that new, more broadly based
therapies for the treatment of H. pylori
infection should be identified. The present study evaluated the effect, on H. pylori
infection, of
IgY prepared from egg yolk of hens immunized with H. pylori
urease (anti-HpU
IgY). Seventeen asymptomatic volunteers diagnosed as H. pylori-positive by the 13C-urea breath test (UBT) were orally administered anti-HpU
IgY for 4 weeks. Four weeks later, UBT values were significantly decreased although no case showed H. pylori eradication. An H. pylori-positive 53-year-old female
gastritis patient administered anti-HpU
IgY plus
lansoprazole for 8 weeks showed a decrease in serum
pepsinogen (PG) I and UBT values as well as an increase in the PG I/II ratio. In conclusion, anti-HpU
IgY may mitigate H. pylori-associated
gastritis and partially attenuate gastric
urease activity. Furthermore, anti-HpU
IgY combined with
antacids appears to ameliorate gastric
inflammation. These encouraging results may represent a novel approach to the management of H. pylori-associated gastroduodenal disease.