Comparison of stool antigen test with gastric biopsy for the detection of helicobacter pylori infection

Helicobacter Pylori [H.pylori] is one of the most important causes of dyspepsia and diagnosis can be made by invasive or non-invasive methods. One of the non-invasive methods, H.pylori stool antigen test [HpSA] is simple, fast and relatively inexpensive. According to this view with regard to gastric biopsy as a gold standard the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of this method were calculated. Stool samples of 61 patients who underwent upper endoscopy and gastric biopsy due to dyspepsia were evaluated for H. Pylori stool antigen using sandwich ELISA method. From the 61 patients who participated in this study, H.pylori was diagnosed in 38 [62.3%] gastric biopsies, 25[66%] of these had positive HpSA test. Also, of 27 [37.7%] positive HpSA cases, H.pylori was seen in 25 gastric biopsies. For this method, sensitivity of 66% with 93% positive predictive value was calculated. Also, 91% specificity with 62% negative predictive value was estimated. High positive HpSA indicates high risk of H.pylori infection and high specificity shows that the likelihood of false positive is low. Therefore, physicians can trust on this method and start patient`s treatment

Comparison of maternal and neonatal serum leptin levels in preeclampsia and normal pregnancy

Leptin is a protein product of obesity gene and is synthesized mainly by adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to determine maternal and neonatal serum leptin levels in term preeclamptic and normal pregnancies. This cross sectional study was performed on 37 preeclamptic and 40 normotensive term pregnant women without other disease. Serum level of leptin was measured in all of pregnant mothers and after delivery, their neonates. This study was performed in Babol Yahyanejad Hospital from March 2006 to December 2006. Infants with preeclamptic mothers had significantly lower leptin level than control group [p=0.02]. There was no significant difference in serum leptin levels between normal and preeclamptic women [p=0.749]. According to the results, it would be concluded that leptin level in infants of preeclamptic mothers is lower than infants of normal mothers. This can only confirm the diagnosis of disease after birth but it cannot predict the preeclampsia