Helicobacter-negative gastritis: polymerase chain reaction for Helicobacter DNA is a valuable tool to elucidate the...

Helicobacter-negative gastritis has been increasingly reported. Molecular techniques as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may detect bacterial DNA in histologically negative gastritis.

To evaluate of Helicobacter PCR in gastric biopsies for the daily diagnostics of Helicobacter-negative gastritis.

Over a 5-year period, routine biopsies with chronic gastritis reminiscent of Helicobacter infection, but negative by histology, were tested by using a H. pylori specific PCR. Subsequently, PCR-negative samples were re-evaluated using PCR for other Helicobacter species.

Of the 9184 gastric biopsies, 339 (3.7%) with histological-negative gastritis and adequate material were forwarded to PCR analysis for H. pylori and 146 (43.1%) revealed a positive result. In 193 H. pylori DNA-negative biopsies, re-analysis using PCR primers for other Helicobacter species, revealed further 23 (11.9%) positive biopsies, including 4 (2.1%) biopsies with H. heilmannii sensu lato. PCR-positive biopsies showed a higher overall inflammatory score, more lymphoid follicles/aggregates and neutrophils (P < 0.05). No Helicobacter DNA was found in control biopsies of 48 patients with neither primer set (P < 0.0001). In 274 patients with an endoscopic description, detection of H. pylori DNA was associated with ulcers and erosions (P < 0.01). Over all, in 339 histologically-negative gastric biopsies, Helicobacter DNA was detected in 169 (49.9%) samples with at least one primer set.

Molecular testing offers a sensitive and specific diagnosis to a selected group of patients, in whom adequate searches for bacteria by conventional histology have resulted in the unsatisfactory diagnosis of H. pylori-negative gastritis.