HPSS - A NEW SILVER STAINING METHOD FOR HELICOBACTER-PYLORI

Aims-To verify whether the proposed new silver staining method compare s favourably with other well established methods in the detection of H elicobacter pylori in gastric biopsies. Methods-One hundred and forty pairs of antral and fundic biopsies, routinely formalin fixed and para ffin wax embedded, from 70 consecutive unselected patients were staine d with haematoxylin and eosin, modified Giemsa, and the proposed H pyl ori silver stain (HpSS). H pylori immunodetection was performed in the same material with a polyclonal antiserum against H pylori. Results-H pylori was detected in 89 biopsies from 48 patients with haematoxylin and eosin; in a further five biopsies (one antral and four fundic) wi th Giemsa stain, thereby identifying one more H pylori infected patien t. The new silver staining method was positive in all the cases detect ed by these two methods and detected three extra infected patients (fi ve more positive biopsies). Immunohistochemistry detected one more pos itive case (two positive biopsies) not identified by any of the other methods. Conclusions-The HpSS method proposed is highly sensitive in d etecting H pylori; it is simple and it compares well with other method s used routinely for evaluating gastric biopsies for H pylori.