title: Evaluation of the Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test (HpSA) for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection and comparison with other methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several invasive and non-invasive methods are available for the detection of H. pylori infection. The accuracy of anti-H. pylori antibodies in serum is low. There is a need for a quick, inexpensive and reliable non-invasive test to detect H. pylori. The aim of this study was to evaluate the enzyme immunoassay for the detection of H. pylori antigen in stool in the Turkish population and compare it to other methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  50 patients who were admitted to Hacettepe University Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology with the symptom of dyspepsia for whom the indication of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was present were included in the study. With their permission stool samples were taken. The patients were evaluated with histology, culture, serology, rapid urease test and HpSA (Helicobacter pylori Stool Antigen test). Forty-one patients had gastritis and biopsies were taken from those.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Excluding HpSA if three of the rest of four methods were positive, patients were accepted as H. pylori positive. Nineteen patients were positive for H. pylori, 22 were negative. HpSA was positive in 16 of 19. The sensitivity and specificity of the methods were as follows: histology 100% sensitive, and 86% specific, culture 63% and 100%, HpIgG 58% and 73%, rapid urease test 89% and 82%, respectively. The results were as 84% and 82% for HpSA. Comparing with the 'Gold Standard' histology using McNemar's test Kappa results were as 0.610, 0.181, 0.610, 0.708 for culture, HpIgG, Rapid Urease Test and HpSA, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HpSA is a cheap, effective method for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection in the Turkish population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Duygu Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: Melda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aybar
authors.forename: Ersan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozaslan
authors.forename: Taylan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kav
authors.forename: Doruk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Engin
authors.forename: Serpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ercis
authors.forename: Gulcin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Altinok
authors.forename: Gulsen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hascelik
authors.forename: Bedri
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Uzunalimoglu
authors.forename: Serap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arslan
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial