Helicobacter pylori: comparison between histologic and serologic diagnosis among patients with gastric dyspepsia

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to compare between the histologic and the serologic diagnosis of H. pylori as an etiologic agent in patients with gastric dyspepsia. 60 symptomatic patients with dyspepsia underwent gastroscopy and multiple antral biopsies were taken and stained with modified Gram stain and examined histologically for H. pylori identification. The commonest gastroscopic findings were gastritis in 28 patients [46.6%] and duodenal ulcer in 14 patients [23.3%]. H. pylori was identified by histopathology in 36 patients [60%]. IgG to H. pylori using ELISA test was examined for all patients as well as for age and sex matched 60 control subjects. Seropositivity was found in 39 patients [65%] of cases and in 20 subjects [33.3%] of control with significant statistical difference between two groups [X2= 12.4, p <0.001]. Serologic diagnosis can be relied upon in the diagnosis of gastric infection by H. pylori, with sensitivity [97.2%] and specificity [83.3%] compared to histologic diagnosis