[Current status of diagnosis of H. pylori infection]

Helicobacter pylori infection can be diagnosed by several methods using serum, urine, stool, breath or gastric samples taken at endoscopic examination. Some methods such as a stool antigen test (SAT), an urea breath test (UBT) or gastric biopsy-based tests such as a rapid urease test (RUT), histology or culture reveal active infection. UBT or SAT is recommended for determining the success of eradication treatment. While serum and urine antibodies show exposure to H. pylori, positive results do not necessarily indicate that the infection is ongoing. We need to know the characters of each test and choose appropriate one considering clinical conditions.