Can fall in anti-H. pylori IgG titres indicate eradication?

ABSTRACT

At present, it is not clear whether a fall in serological titres of anti-H. pylori IgG can be used for confirming eradication. A prospective study was conducted using varying cut-off levels from (10% to 50%) fall in anti-H. pylor IgG levels as a test of eradication in comparison to urease and histology. It was found that sensitivity was highest using a 10% cut-off but specificity wasvery low. Increasing cut-off values increased specificity but resulted in declining sensitivity without altering accuracy much. It appears that in the short term, percentage decline in serological titres can at best serve as a crude test of eradication.