The ¹³C-urea breath test as a predictor of intragastric bacterial load and severity of Helicobacter pylori gastritis

Abstract

Background: The urea breath test (UBT) has been proposed as the most accurate test for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori infection. The aim of this work was to evaluate the accuracy of the UBT and to compare the results with histologic and endoscopic findings in H. pylori infected patients. Methods: One-hundred-and-seventy-two consecutive dyspeptic outpatients were studied by means of endoscopy (with histology and culture), UBT (75 mg ¹³C-urea), and serology. Gastritis was classified in accordance with the Sydney criteria. In H. pylori positive patients, the bacterial load was assessed semiquantitatively, the number of bacteria in histologic specimens being counted. UBT results were expressed either as percentage cumulative dose of ¹³CO₂ excreted at 1 h (CD60) or delta over baseline at 30' (DOB30). Results

• Breath Test Helicobacter Pylori Urea Breath Test