Campylobacter pylori: Swedish experiences

All patients referred for gastroscopy were investigated by Campylobacter pylori culture and antibody titration. An enzyme immunoassay was developed and found to have a negative predictive value of 0.997, which indicates that serologic tests could be used for screening of patients before gastroscopy. A close correlation was found between active and inactive duodenal and gastric ulcer and positive C. pylori culture. Small open treatment trials with the antibiotics doxycycline, tinidazole, amoxycillin, and norfloxacin were ineffective for the eradication of C. pylori. Treatment with the new anti-ulcer agents enprostil, rioprostil, and omeprazole had no effect on the presence of C. pylori.