Abstract :
Aims: To determine the efficacy of gastric juice polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of H.
pylori infection in comparison with histology, rapid urease test and culture in patients with upper gastrointestinal
bleeding.
Method: Sixty-four patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding were enrolled. At endoscopy, gastric
juice for PCR of H. pylori and gastric biopsies for rapid urease test (RUT), histology and culture were collected.
Results: There were 53.1% of patients presenting with melena and 26.6% with hematemesis. Endoscopic
findings included lesions in the stomach (58 patients) and in the duodenum (13 patients). H. pylori infection
was found in 43.8%. The sensitivity of gastric juice PCR was significantly higher than histology (92.9% vs. 25%,
p<0.001) but equal to that of rapid urease test (92.9%) and culture (96.4%) (p<0.001). Further analysis showed
non-significant difference in the sensitivities of rapid urease test, histology, culture, and gastric juice PCR between
patients with or without blood in the stomach.
Conclusions: Gastric juice PCR is highly sensitive for detecting H. pylori in patients with upper gastrointestinal
bleeding. The sensitivity of gastric juice PCR is similar to rapid urease test, histology, and culture
moreover this method is non-invasive and non-biopsy-based. |
file/Thai-Journal-of-gastroenterology-vol-15-no-3-2090351.pdf