Detection of Helicobacter Pylori Antigen in Stool

OBJECTIVE: To detect H. Pylori antigen in stool and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of H. pylori stool antigen. DESIGN: Comparative analytical study. SETTING: This study was carried out at Pakistan Medical Research Council (PMRC), at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi from May 2006 to September 2006. MATERIAL METHODS: Endoscopic biopsy specimens were collected for rapid urease test and histopathology examination. Stool samples were taken for detection of antigen of Helicobacter pylori. The stool antigen test is a rapid immuno-assay based on “lateral flow chromatography technique” using monoclonal antibodies for qualitative detection of Helicobacter pylori antigen in human stool. RESULT: Fifty males and 50 females were selected for this study by non-probable purposive sampling technique. Their mean age was 39 years ranging from 15 to 55 years. The sensitivity and the specificity of Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test (HPSA) with rapid urease test was found to be 89.1% and 92.6% respectively and the sensitivity and specificity of HPSA test with histopathology was 92.8% and 89.6% respectively. CONCLUSION: Helicobacter pylori stool antigen (HPSA) is an accurate easily carried out in routine laboratory and is non-invasive.