title: Direct gram stain and urease test to detect Helicobacter pylori.
abstract: Antral biopsies were obtained by gastrointestinal endoscopy on 143 adult patients with dyspeptic symptoms of gastritis or peptic ulcer disease. A direct Gram stain and a direct urease test were performed on each biopsy in addition to culture. Forty-three biopsies (30%) were considered positive for Helicobacter pylori based on culture or histologic examination, or both. Thirty-one biopsies (72% sensitivity) were positive for both direct tests, whereas 95 of 100 negative cultures were negative for both tests. Thirty-eight of the 43 positive biopsies were Gram stain positive (sensitivity, 88%; specificity, 100%). The direct urease test alone was positive at 4 hr for 29 biopsies (sensitivity, 67%; specificity, 100%) and at 24 hr for 38 biopsies (sensitivity, 74%; specificity, 95%). Rapid presumptive diagnosis of H. pylori in antral biopsies was obtained when at least one direct test, Gram stain or urease, was positive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Westchester County Medical Center, Valhalla, NY 10595.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Van Horn
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Dworkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology; D005773:Gastroscopy; D005840:Gentian Violet; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology; D010619:Phenazines; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011706:Pyloric Antrum; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013270:Stomach / Q000382:microbiology*; D014510:Urease
chemical_list: C035863:Gram's stain; D010619:Phenazines; D014510:Urease; D005840:Gentian Violet