Five micro-curie urea breath test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pyloriinfection: Evaluation in a South-East Asian population

Background: Helicobacter pylori is an important pathogen responsible for si gnificant morbidity and mortality. Its prevalence varies widely in differen t geographical locations and is especially high in parts of Asia. Methods: A double-blind study was carried out to evaluate the use of the 5 mu Ci (185 KBq) [14C]-urea breath test ([C-14]-UBT) in a South-East Asian p opulation by validating its diagnostic accuracy against histology and the C LO test. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the [C-14]-UBT was 100% when co mpared against the CLO test. When histology was used as the 'gold standard' , the sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 97.2%, respectively. There was no overlap or indeterminate values between positive and negative result s on the [C-14]-UBT. Conclusions: Among South-East Asian populations where the prevalence of H. pylori infection is high, the high sensitivity of the 5 mu Ci [C-14]-UBT ma kes it a very important test in the detection of H. pylori.