• F Ahmed, U K Murthy, W D Chey, P P Toskes, and D A Wagner.
• Division of Gastroenterology, Syracuse VA Medical Center, Syracuse, NY 10128, USA. furqaan@hotmail.com
• Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 2005 Nov 1; 22 (9): 875-80.

BackgroundThe urea blood test (Ez-HBT) has been shown to compare favourably with the urea breath test in the diagnosis of active Helicobacter pylori infection.AimTo examine the performance characteristics of the Ez-HBT Helicobacter blood test in establishing success or failure of therapy in H. pylori-infected adults using the 13C urea breath test as the reference method.Methods13C urea breath test and Ez-HBT Helicobacter blood test were performed 4-6 weeks after completion of treatment in H. pylori positive subjects. Basal urea breath samples were collected; basal Ez-HBT Helicobacter blood test samples were not. Ez-HBT Helicobacter blood test results were reported as positive, negative, or indeterminate.ResultsSeventy patients generated 126 measurable sets of urea breath and blood tests. The H. pylori cure rate was 93%. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the Ez-HBT Helicobacter blood test were 100%, 97%, and 97%, respectively. Six of eight false positive and indeterminate Ez-HBT Helicobacter blood test results could be attributed to incomplete fasting or a 13C enriched diet. After correcting for the non-fasting state, the positive predictive value of the Ez-HBT Helicobacter blood test improved from 56% to 86%.ConclusionThe performance characteristics of the Ez-HBT Helicobacter blood test are comparable with that of 13C-urea breath test in establishing H. pylori eradication after therapy. Errors related to incomplete fasting can be mitigated by collection of a basal blood sample.

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