Progress in diagnosis of infections brought on by Helicobacter pylori

A wide range of techniques was developed for identification of Helicobacter pylori, since the association of the microorganism with gastritis and peptic ulcer has been established in 1983. Up to now, isolation and identification of H. pylori from the gastric biopsy, remains the standard diagnostic procedure. However, attention is focused on rapid non-invasive tests, for monitoring the infection, such as urea breath test. Serological methods as ELISA and Western blot are suitable for estimation of specific anti-H. pylori local and systemic humoral response. Molecular tests based on PCR reaction allow the detection of H. pylori in biopsy specimens and recently in other clinical samples as saliva or faeces. They are also very promising in epidemiological studies.