[Detection of Helicobacter pylori by polymerase chain reaction]

The application of PCR method to the detection of H. pylori is reviewed. In most of the assays reported to date, primer pairs based on the sequences of urease and 16S rRNA genes have been chosen. Clinical samples tested have ranged widely from gastric biopsy specimens to gastric aspirates, feces, dental plaques, saliva, etc. As few as one organism can be detected by the most sensitive assay. The reports suggest that PCR assay is suited for laboratory diagnosis of the organism as well as epidemiologic studies. A future problem is to search the target sequences which are more specific to H. pylori and more informative for researching pathogenesis of gastrointestinal disorders associated with H. pylori infection.