Detection of Helicobacter pylori in stool specimens by PCR and antigen enzyme immunoassay.
A highly sensitive seminested PCR assay to detect Helicobacter pylori DNA in feces was developed. PCR with stool specimens and a novel antigen enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for H. pylori detection in feces were evaluated as diagnostic tools and in follow-up with samples from 63 infected and 37 noninfected persons. Infected individuals received eradication therapy followed by endoscopic follow-up 35 days after the start of treatment. At that time, a second stool specimen was obtained from 55 of these patients. Before eradication, the sensitivity of PCR was 93.7% and that of EIA 88.9%. Specificities were 100 and 94.6%, respectively. Of the 55 follow-up specimens, 41 originated from patients from whom H. pylori had been eradicated. Of these, 21 were still positive by PCR and 13 were positive by EIA, indicating that 1 month may be too short a period for follow-up evaluation of stool specimens by these tests.
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hygiene Institute of the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Athanasios.Makristathis@akh-wien.ac.at
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Makristathis
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Pasching
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Schütze
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Wimmer
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Rotter
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Hirschl
D000328:Adult; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008795:Metronidazole; D000658:Amoxicillin