HELICOBACTER-PYLORI IN A COSTA-RICAN DYSPEPTIC PATIENT POPULATION

Gastric biopsies from 65 Costa Rican dyspeptic patients were investiga ted for the presence of Helicobacter pylori DNA by polymerase chain re action (PCR) amplification of 16S rRNA sequences. Both frozen and para ffin-embedded samples were used, and the results were compared with ba cterial culture and histological examination. Helicobacter pylori DNA was detected by PCR in 60 (92 %) of the patients, and Helicobacter pyl ori strains confirmed by PCR could be isolated from 37 of them. Altoge ther, 59 patients were shown to be infected using the combination of c ulture and histology as the reference method. The sensitivity of PCR a nalysis of frozen material was 98 % (58/59). The PCR analysis of paraf fin-embedded samples seemed less reliable than that of frozen biopsy m aterial.