Comparison of carbon-14-urea breath test and rapid urease test with gastric biopsy for identification of Helicobacter pylori.

It is well known that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori ) infection of the gastroduodenal mucosa causes chronic active gastritis and may dispose to peptic ulcer disease. Several invasive and noninvasive methods to detect H. pylori infection of the stomach have been described in the literature. Until recently, the practice has mainly been focused on the detection of H. pylori by endo scopic biopsy of the gastric mucosa, and documentation of its presence, either by histological identification of H. pylori or culture of antral biopsies. We know that H. pylori produces large amounts of urease, which buffer surrounding hydrogen ions by the production of ammonia and bicarbonate.