Endoscopic [13C]-urea breath test for quantification of Helicobacter pylori infection.
BACKGROUND
We previously developed a new diagnostic method for Helicobacter pylori infection and called it the endoscopic [13C]-urea breath test (EUBT). Here we evaluate the relationship between the EUBT results and the histological findings.


METHODS
The EUBT was performed on 137 patients with gastroduodenal diseases. After the collection of a baseline breath sample, gastroduodenal endoscopy was performed. Twenty milliliters of 0.05% phenol red solution containing 100 mg of [13C]-urea was sprayed over the entire gastric mucosa under endoscopic observation. A breath sample was collected 15 min after spraying. The content of 13CO2 in the breath samples was measured by ratio mass spectrometry. Two biopsy specimens each from the antrum and the middle corpus were obtained for culture and histology. Helicobacter pylori colonization, activity, inflammation, atrophy and intestinal metaplasia were classified on a four-point scale according to the Updated Sydney System.


RESULTS
We found positive correlations between the EUBT values and the H. pylori colonization and activity score in the antrum and corpus, and negative correlations between the EUBT values and the atrophy and intestinal metaplasia scores in the corpus.


CONCLUSIONS
The EUBT can be an indicator of the intragastric bacterial load and the histological findings for H. pylori.
Suto
H
H
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Fukui Medical University, Yoshida-gun, Japan. hrykstu@fmsrsa.fukui-med.ac.jp
Azuma
T
T
Ito
S
S
Ito
Y
Y
Miyaji
H
H
Yamazaki
Y
Y
Kohli
Y
Y
Kuriyama
M
M
D001944:Breath Tests; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology; D014508:Urea
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D014508:Urea