Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in stool specimen by PCR-ELISA of ureC gene

Helicobacter pylori is to blame for one of the most common chronic infections in humans and can cause peptic ulcer, gastritis, duodenitis and non-ulcer dyspepsia. Developing a reliable test to detect the infection is of great importance. For a variety of reasons, the existing tests including the stool culture, biopsy, PCR, and urea breath test are not up to par. The PCR-ELISA test is a preferably specific and sensitive approach to detect Helicobacter pylori in stool specimen and biopsy. Sixty-seven stool samples were collected from 127 patients who had undergone gastrointestinal endoscopy and stomach biopsy at Hazrat Rasool Akram Hospital, of Iran University of Medical Sciences based in Tehran. DNA was extracted from the samples before they were subjected to PCR of ureC gene. PCR-ELISA test was conducted and the results were compared. Stool-PCR test 31 (46.1%) of the 67 patients in question were positive and the same test on biopsies showed that 34 patients (50.7%) were infected while the rest tested negative. But the PCR-ELISA test on stool samples suggested that 42 patients (62.6%) were infected, and the same test on biopsies showed that 47 patients (70.1%) were positive. The results of these tests showed that detection of Helicobacter pylori through PCR-ELISA test on stool samples has high specificity and sensitivity and could be used as initial test to detect Helicobacter pylori infection.