Journal of clinical microbiology
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jun 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialPositive result by serology indicates active Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with atrophic gastritis.
Patients with atrophic corpus gastritis and elevated Helicobacter pylori antibody titers but 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) and histology results negative for H. pylori were randomized into eradication therapy or follow-up only. Antibody levels decreased significantly in six out of seven patients in the eradication group, while in the follow-up group, the titers declined in only one out of eight patients. In patients with atrophic corpus gastritis, positive serology results may indicate an ongoing infection in spite of negative 13C-UBT and histology results.