[Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori by polymerase chain reaction]

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a biotechnological useful tool for the diagnosis of bacteria or viruses with high in vitro growth requirements. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract and its diagnosis is very important since it is associated with chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric carcinomas. Because of the difficult growth requirements of the H. pylori, the PCR is being used for its diagnosis in samples of gastric biopsy, gastric juices, feces, saliva and subgingival plaque using specific H. pylori DNA fragments. This paper is a literature review that outlines the use of PCR in the diagnosis of H. pylori, the benefits and future applications of this technique in this area.