title: Diagnostic values of Helicobacter pylori diagnostic tests: stool antigen test, urea breath test, rapid urease test, serology and histology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to compare validity of 5 diagnostic tests of helicobacter pylori with each other: stool antigen test, urea breath test (UBT), rapid urease test (RUT), serology and histology.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 94 patients who had indication of endoscopy entered the study. All of the 5 tests were performed for each patient. When the results of at least 2 tests were positive (except serology), Helicobacter pylori infection was considered to be positive. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy and area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of these 5 tests were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy and area under ROC curve of these 5 tests are as below, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  89%, 78%, 93%, 91%, 85% and 0.881; RUT: 93%, 75%, 95%, 94%, 86% and 0.831; serology: 50%, 54%, 46%, 61%, 52% and 0.563; stool antigen test: 96%, 83%, 98%, 96%, 91% and 0.897; UBT: 89%, 73%, 92%, 90%, 82% and 0.892.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stool antigen test is the most accurate test for Helicobacter pylori diagnosis before eradication of these bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Resident, Department of Internal Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Shadi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kazemi
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tavakkoli
authors.forename: Mohamad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Habizadeh
authors.forename: Mohammad Hasan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Emami