title: Culturing Helicobacter pylori from clinical specimens: review of microbiologic methods.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori is probably the most common chronic bacterial infection of humankind, and is usually acquired first in childhood. Microbiologic culture of H. pylori is the "gold standard" for diagnosis in a patient with suspected infection. Although not currently recommended for routine use, culture allows testing for susceptibility to antimicrobials, especially in populations with a high prevalence of drug resistance. Gastric biopsies are the specimens most commonly used to culture H. pylori, but stool, vomitus, saliva, and dental plaque offer opportunities. This review examines the current methods used to culture H. pylori from biologic specimens and suggests useful hints to enhance its recovery rate.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Therapeutics, dagger Child Health, and double dagger Faculty of Medicine, The University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Roland N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Ndip
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: MacKay
authors.forename: Michael J G
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Farthing
authors.forename: Lawrence T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Weaver
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D003470:Culture Media; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013270:Stomach / Q000382:microbiology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media