Novel endoscopic techniques for the diagnosis of gastric Helicobacter pylori infection: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study aimed to conduct a network meta-analysis to compare the diagnostic efficacy of diverse novel endoscopic techniques for detecting gastric Helicobacter pylori infection.MethodsFrom inception to August 2023, literature was systematically searched across Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Cochrane’s risk of bias tool assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. Data analysis was conducted using the R software, employing a ranking chart to determine the most effective diagnostic method comprehensively. Convergence analysis was performed to assess the stability of the results.ResultsThe study encompassed 36 articles comprising 54 observational studies, investigating 14 novel endoscopic techniques and involving 7,230 patients diagnosed with gastric H. pylori infection. Compared with the gold standard, the comprehensive network meta-analysis revealed the superior diagnostic performance of two new endoscopic techniques, Magnifying blue laser imaging endoscopy (M-BLI) and high-definition magnifying endoscopy with i-scan (M-I-SCAN). Specifically, M-BLI demonstrated the highest ranking in both sensitivity (SE) and positive predictive value (PPV), ranking second in negative predictive value (NPV) and fourth in specificity (SP). M-I-SCAN secured the top position in NPV, third in SE and SP, and fifth in PPV.ConclusionAfter thoroughly analyzing the ranking chart, we conclude that M-BLI and M-I-SCAN stand out as the most suitable new endoscopic techniques for diagnosing gastric H. pylori infection.Systematic review registrationhttps://inplasy.com/inplasy-2023-11-0051/, identifier INPLASY2023110051.