PREDICTIVE VALUE OF AN ELISA FOR HELICOBA CTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN CHILDREN

Objective: Chronic recurrent abdominal pain in childhood is frequently due to a Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis. The diagnosis shou ld be verified either by gastric biopsy culture or by histological inv estigations of the gastric mucosa in children. The gastroscopy necessa ry for this often requires general anesthesia. The purpose of the pres ent study was to etablish whether an ELISA for Helicobacter pylori has an adequate predictive reliability with regard to the putative gastri c histology in order to possibly prevent unnecessary biopsies and asso ciated anesthesias. Method: The predictive reliability of a commercial ELISA (Pylori Stat degrees) for Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies fr om the serum was investigated in 79 children and compared with the res ults of the gastric mucosal histology. The biopsies were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Results: Helicobacter infection was correctly predi cted in 81%. Absence of Helicobacter infections was correctly predicte d in 93%. Consequently, the ELISA investigated allowes for an exact pr ediction as to whether Helicobacter-associated gastritis is present or not in 86% of all biopsy patients. Conclusion: We consider that the E LISA under discussion is well suited to assist in deciding whether a g astroscopy (and the general anesthesia frequently associated with this in childhood) is necessary. In this situation it can be used as a sub stitute for the expensive C-13 respiration test.