Open AccessLaboratory tests for the evaluation of Helicobacter pylori infections
Author(s) -
Nakamura Robert M.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of clinical laboratory analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1098-2825
pISSN - 0887-8013
DOI - 10.1002/jcla.1041
Subject(s) - helicobacter pylori , rapid urease test , urea breath test , gastroenterology , urease , medicine , asymptomatic , spirillaceae , stomach , pathology , microbiology and biotechnology , gastritis , helicobacter pylori infection , biology , urea , biochemistry
Helicobacter pylori is a highly motile bacterium with multiple unipolar flagella, and it produces the urease enzyme. The flagella and urease are the virulence factors of H. pylori . H. pylori often establishes a chronic infection in the stomach that may lead to gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastric cancers, gastric lymphomas, and other gastrointestinal diseases. There are several different invasive and noninvasive clinical laboratory tests for H. pylori . Laboratory testing is not indicated in asymptomatic patients and should be considered only if treatment of H. pylori infection is planned. Invasive tests for H. pylori , such as tissue histology, culture, and rapid urease tests, are used if an endoscopy is performed on the patient. The noninvasive tests for H. pylori , such as enzyme antibody and urea breath tests, are recommended in patients whose symptoms do not warrant endoscopy. The urea breath test is very useful and is recommended to evaluate effectiveness in the eradication and treatment of H. pylori infections. Nucleic acid tests can complement other diagnostic procedures, and are useful in evaluating fixed biopsy tissue, environmental samples, gastric juices, oral secretions, and stool samples. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 15:301–307, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.