title: Evaluation of salivary antibodies to detect infection with Helicobacter pylori.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori infection is an important cause of peptic ulcer disease and chronic gastritis. Infection with this bacterium stimulates the production of immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody. Salivary IgG antibody tests to detect H pylori infection offer a convenient and noninvasive method of diagnosis. To evaluate an IgG salivary antibody kit, saliva was collected from 157 out-patients with dyspepsia referred for endoscopy to a tertiary centre. A salivary IgG ELISA antibody assay was performed using the Helisal Helicobacter pylori (IgG) assay kit, and at least four gastric biopsies were obtained. H pylori infection was confirmed by demonstration of the organism on Warthin-Starry silver stain (sensitivity 85%, specificity 55%). The prevalence of infection with H pylori was 30%. When the analysis was redone, excluding those treated with eradication therapy, the results were similar (sensitivity 86%, specificity 58%). The positive predictive value of the assay was 45% and the negative predictive value was 90%. Despite the ease of sampling, the assay used has limited diagnostic utility, lacking the predictive value to indicate which patients referred with dyspeptic symptoms to a tertiary care setting are infected with H pylori.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, McMaster University Medical Centre, Hamilton, Ontario.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Loeb
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Riddell
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Smaill
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001706:Biopsy; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G