FecalHelicobacterpylori-AntigenELISAisintendedforthequantitativedeterminationofHelicobacterpyloriantigeninfeces.

ThehumanpathogenHelicobacterpylori(H.pylori)isabacteriumthathasbeenfoundinthestomachsofhumansinallpartsoftheworld.Indevelopingcountries,70to90%ofthepopulationcarriesH.pylorimostlyalreadyacquiredbeforetheageof10years.Indevelopedcountriestheprevalenceofinfectionrangesfrom25to50%.H.pyloriinfectionsaretransmittedviatheoral-oral,thefecaloralrouteoriatrogenic.H.pyloriischaracterizedbyastrongureaseactivityandsomestrainsadditionallyproduceacytotoxin(VacA).Theseextracellularproductscontributetothepathogenesisbydirectdamageofthegastricepitheliumaccompaniedbyachronicinflammationwithenhancedlevelsofinflammationmediators.About10%oftheinfectedpersonsdevelopH.pyloriassociatedgastritisandsecundarydiseaseslikechronicactivegastritis,Ulcusventriculi,Ulcusduodeni,gastriccancerandMALTlymphoma.Diagnosisisusuallybasedongastroendoscopycombinedwiththedetectionofthepathogeninbiopsymaterialbyculture,histologyandrapidureasetest.Culturefrombiopsymaterialisdifficultandnotalwayssuccessful.The14Cbreathtestwhichisoftenperformedasfollowuptest,detectsCO2releasedbythebacterialureasefromrADIoactivelabeledureainpatientsbreath.Thismethodisnotinvasivebuttheneedforspecialequipmentandtheuptakeofradioactiveureabythepatientsaredisadvantageous.ImmunologicaltestswhichenablethedirectdetectionofH.pyloriantigensfromstoolspecimensareavailableandmaybeusedfortherapeuticsurveillance.