Premium
The 13 carbon urea breath test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in subjects with atrophic gastritis: evaluation in a primary care setting
Author(s) -
KORSTANJE A.,
VAN EEDEN S.,
OFFERHAUS G. J. A.,
SABBE L. J. M.,
DEN HARTOG G.,
BIEMOND I.,
LAMERS C. B. H. W.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.03004.x
Subject(s) - medicine , asymptomatic , serology , urea breath test , helicobacter pylori , gastroenterology , atrophic gastritis , breath test , gastritis , immunology , helicobacter pylori infection , antibody
Summary Background 13 Carbon urea breath testing is reliable to detect current infection with Helicobacter pylori but has been reported to be of limited value in selected patients with atrophic body gastritis or acid‐lowering medication. Aim To evaluate the accuracy of 13 carbon urea breath testing for H. pylori detection in 20 asymptomatic patients with histologically confirmed atrophic body gastritis in a primary care setting. Methods 13 Carbon urea breath testing and serology were compared with H. pylori culture of a corpus biopsy as reference test. Results All tests were in agreement in 12 patients, being all positive in six and all negative in six. One patient was positive for serology and culture but negative for 13 carbon urea breath testing, five patients had only positive serology and two patients had only positive 13 carbon urea breath testing. 13 Carbon urea breath testing showed an accuracy with culture of 85% and anti‐ H. pylori serology with culture of 75%. 13 Carbon urea breath testing carried out in patients with positive serology showed an accuracy of 92%. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of 13 carbon urea breath testing shows optimal discrimination at the prescribed cut‐off value. Conclusions 13 Carbon urea breath testing can be used as diagnostic H. pylori test in asymptomatic patients with atrophic body gastritis, preferably in addition to serology, to select subjects for anti‐ H. pylori therapy.