DETECTION OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI IN STOOL SPECIMENS BY PCR AND ANTIGEN ENZYME-IMMUNOASSAY

A highly sensitive seminested PCR assay to detect Helicobacter pylori DNA in feces was developed. PCR with stool specimens and a novel antig en enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for H. pylori detection in feces were eval uated as diagnostic tools and in follow-up with samples from 63 infect ed and 37 noninfected persons. Infected individuals received eradicati on therapy followed by endoscopic follow-up 35 days after the start of treatment. At that time, a second stool specimen was obtained from 55 of these patients. Before eradication, the sensitivity of BCR was 93. 7% and that of EIA 88.9%. Specificities were 100 and 94.6%, respective ly. Of the 55 follow-up specimens, 41 originated from patients from wh om H. pylori had been eradicated. Of these, 21 were still positive by PCR and 13 were positive by EPA, indicating that 1 month may be too sh ort a period for follow-up evaluation of stool specimens by these test s.