Helicobacter pylori antibodies in a Saudi population

The authors determined the sensitivity and specificity of a rapid latex-agglutination test (Pylori-set) to detect Helicobacter pylori infection and screened an asymptomatic Saudi population in different age groups for H. pylori seroprevalence. The study was designed as a blind comparison of a commercial serologic test kit for serologic diagnosis of H. pylori with a standard biopsy-related test in a tertiary referral center and teaching hospital. We included 70 symptomatic male and female Saudi patients, as well as 90 randomly collected sera from asymptomatic Saudi patients. The sensitivity of the Pylori-set was 59%, with a specificity of 89%. Screening of the asymptomatic Saudi population showed an age increase in antibody prevalence. Because of the limited sensitivity in the investigated population, the use of this latex-agglutination test alone cannot be recommended for the serological diagnosis of H. pylori infection in the Saudi population.