Helicobacter pylori stool antigen (HpSA) test - A simple, accurate and non-invasive test for detection of Helicobacter pylori infection

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To access the reliability of a newly developed test, the H elicobacter pylori (H. pylori) stool antigen (HpSA) test was used for detec tion of H. pylori infection. METHODOLOGY: Stool specimens were collected from 33 consecutive patients (1 9 males and 14 females, age range: 16-73 years, mean: 49 years) who receive d upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination for gastrointestinal sympto ms. The H. pylori status was evaluated based on six different tests: cultur e, histology, biopsy urease test, C-13-urea breath test (C-13-UBT), serolog y, and HpSA test. A commercial kit using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent ass ay examined HpSA in the stool. H. pylori status was defined as positive whe n the culture was positive or concordance of three of the other four tests (histology, biopsy urease test,C-13-UBT, and serology) was positive. RESULTS: Twenty patients were diagnosed as H. pylori-positive. The HpSA tes t was positive in 19 patients and negative in 14 patients. The sensitivity and specificity were 95.0% and 100%, respectively. The overall accuracy rat e was 96.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The HpSA test is a new, simple, non-invasive method for accura te diagnosis of H. pylori infection.