title: Evaluation of the Atlas Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test for diagnosis of infection in adult patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most important causes of dyspepsia and gastric cancer and diagnosis can be made by invasive or non-invasive methods. The Atlas Helicobacter pylori antigen test is a new rapid non-invasive method which is simple to conduct. The aim of this study was to determine its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study was conducted between July 2012 and December 2013. Stool samples of 59 dyspeptic patients who underwent upper endoscopy were evaluated for H. pylori stool antigen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the 59 patients who participated in this study, there were 36 (61%) males and 23 (39%) females. H. pylori was diagnosed in 24 (40.7%) gastric biopsies, 22 (91.7 %) of these being positive for the Atlas H. pylori antigen test. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy were 91.7%, 100%, 100%, 94.6% and 96.6% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Atlas H. pylori antigen test is a new non-invasive method which is simple to perform and avails reliable results in a few minutes. Thus it can be the best option for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection due to its high sensitivity and specificity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia E-mail : zilfalil2@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hussein Ali
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.forename: Habsah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.forename: Rapeah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suppian
authors.forename: Norhaniza
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bahar
authors.forename: Nurzam Suhaila Che
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hussin
authors.forename: Amry Abdul
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rahim
authors.forename: Syed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Dzulkarnaen Zakaria
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Andee
authors.forename: Bin-Alwi
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Zilfalil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial