SERODIAGNOSIS OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION BY COBAS-CORE ELISA INADULTS FROM MINAS-GERAIS, BRAZIL

We evaluated the accuracy of a 2nd generation ELISA to detect Helicoba cter pylori infection in adults from a developing country in view of v ariations in sensitivity and specificity reported for different popula tions. We studied 97 non-consecutive patients who underwent endoscopy for evaluation of dispeptic symptoms. The presence of H. pylori was de termined in antral biopsy specimens by culture, by the preformed ureas e test and in carbolfuchsin-stained smears. Patients were considered t o be H. pylori positive if at least two of the three tests presented a positive result or if the culture was positive, and negative if the t hree tests were negative. Sixty-five adults (31 with peptic ulcer) wer e H. pylori positive and 32 adults were H. pylori negative. Antibodies were detected by Cobas Core anti-H. pylori EIA in 62 of 65 H. pylori- positive adults and in none of the negative adults. The sensitivity, s pecificity and positive and negative predictive values of the test wer e 95.4, 100, 100 and 91.4%, respectively. The Cobas Core anti-H. pylor i EIA presented high sensitivity and specificity when employed for a p opulation in Brazil, permitting the use of the test both to confirm th e clinical diagnosis and to perform epidemiologic surveys.