title: [Efficacy of stool antigen and serologic tests in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori in Ecuadorian population].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness in the Ecuadorian population of 2 non-invasive methods for the detection of the Helicobacter pylori: the stool antigens immunoassay (HpSAg) and the determination IgG serum of'antibodies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty six dyspeptic patients were evaluated. In each, Helicobacter pylori presence was investigated with three methods: histology, HpSAg and serology. Sensibility and specificity values were obtained, as well as the positive and negative predictive values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori with the 3 tests was 89.53%. The sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were: 42.5%, 69.2%, 88.6% and 17.6% with histology; 69.2%, 42.9%, 78.9% and 31% with HpSAg; 64.2%, 47.7%, 81.1% and 27.3% with serology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the highly prevalent Ecuadorian setting, HpSAg and serology have relative low sensibility and specificity values. Based on our results, it is necessary to assess for conditions that could alter their results, and strategies to increase the sensibility of these tests, including the histology.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirugía de la Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Guayaquil. Guayaquil, Ecuador. ngomez@gye.satnet.net
authors.forename: Néstor A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Ludwig R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Zapatier
authors.forename: Paola E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Vargas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001706:Biopsy; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000382:microbiology*; D004484:Ecuador; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial