title: Effect of transport medium and transportation time on culture of Helicobacter pylori from gastric biopsy specimens.
abstract: To determine whether transportation time and use of a low budget transport medium (NaCl 0.9%) would influence culture of Helicobacter pylori from gastric biopsy specimens, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed on 42 patients. The specimens were cultured and examined histologically, and H pylori antibodies were determined using an ELISA technique. Patients were regarded as H pylori positive when culture was positive or when histology or IgG anti-H pylori antibodies indicated H pylori infection. Rapid transportation of gastric biopsy specimens in NaCl 0.9%, at room temperature resulted in a high diagnostic yield (23 H pylori positive cultures in 26 patients with H pylori infection). A 24 hour delay in plating gastric biopsy specimens after transportation in NaCl 0.9%, at room temperature, did not seriously affect results (22 instead of 23 H pylori positive cultures). The culture results after transportation in Cairy-Blair medium were comparable with those after transportation in NaCl 0.9%, but because of availability, low cost, and ease of handling in the endoscopy department, NaCl 0.9% was preferred as transport medium. This study shows that for culture of H pylori from gastric biopsy specimens sterile saline is an adequate medium, and that transportation can be delayed for 24 hours without a significant loss of diagnostic yield.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Veenendaal
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Lichtendahl-Bernards
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Endtz
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: van Boven
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lamers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D003470:Culture Media; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013270:Stomach / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D012965:Sodium Chloride