Helicobacter pyloriInfection in Endoscopic Biopsy Specimens of Gastric Antrum: Laboratory Diagnosis and Comparative Efficacy of Three Diagnostic Tests

摘要

Aims and objectivesThe present study was undertaken to compare the diagnostic yieldof three available test procedures for detectingHelicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection in endoscopic biopsies.Methods H. pyloriinfection was sought in 150 patients referred for upper gastrointestinal(GI) endoscopy. Multiple (about six) biopsy specimens were taken from pyloricantrum in each patient. Two biopsy specimens were subjected to one minute endoscopyroom test – OMERT (a modified form of urease test), two were sent for histopathologicalanalysis, where multiple sections were subjected to Giemsa staining and two were sent formicrobiological evaluation after Gram's staining of heat fixed biopsy material.Results H. pyloripositivity using histology, microbiology and OMERT was observedto be 33%, 30% and 27% respectively. However, overall 40% patients were infected whenthe results from three test procedures were combined, asH. pyloripositivity was repeatedmore than once by these procedures separately. Histology was found to be superior to othertwo tests in our study, especially when multiple sections were examined, for the distributionof the organism was patchy. Amongst the infected,H. pyloriwas seen in only 30% of all3–8 sections cut from a biopsy, whereas in 70% it was noted in a single section only.ConclusionThe study revealed that histology has the highest detection rate and can bechosen as the “gold standard” amongst the three low cost test procedures available at presentin our setup.