Diagnóstico de la infección poe Helicobacter pylori en niños mediante la detección de antígenos en deposiciones / Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in children based on stool antigen test

ABSTRACT

Background: During infancy, preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic efforts for Helicobacter pylori infection should be made. Aim: To evaluate non-invasive diagnostic methods such as stool antigen test (HpSA) and serum anti-H pylori antibody detection (IgG e IgA), compared to endoscopy-based invasive methods (histology and urease test) for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. Patients and Methods: Thirty nine children (aged 3 to 14 years, 20 males) referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, were studied. The gold standard to diagnose Helicobacter pylori infection was defined as a positive invasive diagnostic test (histology and/or urease test). Sensitivity (S), specificity (E) and positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values were obtained for HpSA and serum antibodies. Results: Ten children (26 percent) were infected with H pylori. S, E, PPV and NPV for HpSA were 90, 100, 100 and 97 percent, respectively. The figures for serum IgG were 81, 97, 89 and 93 percent, respectively and for IgA, 90, 76, 36 and 96 percent, respectively. Conclusions: HpSA was sensitive and specific as a clinical and epidemiological tool to evaluate H pylori infection in children. Serology was not as accurate, but IgG had a better performance than IgA.