Heliobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is a spiral-shaped gram negative bacterium that can infect the stomach and the duodenum. It is the most common cause of ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, accounting for up to 90% of duodenal ulcers and up to 80% of gastric ulcers. Infection with Helicobacter pylori may also cause gastritis, and infected persons have a 2- to 6-fold increased risk of developing mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and gastric cancer.

Helicobacter pylori infection is common in the United States and is most prevalent in the elderly and persons from lower socioeconomic groups. About 20% of persons less than 40 years of age and about 50% of persons over 60 years of age are infected. The infection is usually clinically silent, with only a few cases progressing to a disease state.

The mode of transmission is not known at this time. However, Helicobacter pylori have been found in saliva, dental plaque and in the stools of children. It has been postulated that overcrowding and close contact with others in households may increase the spread of infection.

Diagnostic procedures for the detection of the organism generally involve invasive endoscopic techniques for sample collection. However, a specific immune response is seen in infected patients, and thus a serological test represents a useful diagnostic alternative to invasive surgical biopsy techniques. IgG levels rise with infection and remain constantly high until the infection is eliminated. In addition to the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection, specific IgG testing may also be useful to monitor the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy.

Sample Volume : 10 µl
Controls/ Calibrators : 5 Calibrators
Incubation : 45’+ 45’+15 min
Substrate : TMB