RESUMEN
Introduction. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is very common worldwide. A reliable diagnosis is crucial for patients with H. pylori-related diseases. At followup, it is important to confirm that eradication therapy has been successful. There is no established gold standard for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. Material and Methods. A sample of 304 volunteers from the general population was screened for H. pylori infection with serology, (13)C-urea breath test (UBT), rapid urease test (RUT) on fresh biopsy, culture from biopsy, and histological examination. Culture was used as gold standard. Results. The sensitivity was 0.99 for serology, 0.90 for UBT, 0.90 for RUT, and 0.90 for histological examination. Corresponding specificities were 0.82, 0.99, 0.98, and 0.97, respectively. The accuracy was 0.86 for serology, 0.96 for UBT, 0.95 for RUT, 0.93 for culture, and 0.95 for histology. There was a strong correlation between the results of UBT and the histological scores of H. pylori colonisation as well as between the results of UBT and the scores of RUT. Conclusion. There were only minor differences in accuracy between the three invasive tests for H. pylori infection in this population. RUT may be recommended as the first choice since a result is obtained within hours. The accuracy of UBT was comparable to the invasive tests, and it is recommended for situations when endoscopy is not needed.
RESUMEN
The prevalence of dementia disorders, cobalamin and/or folate deficiency as well as gastritis increases with age. To investigate whether there is an association between these conditions, plasma homocysteine (Hcy), serum methylmalonic acid, serum cobalamin and blood folate concentrations were measured. Gastritis was indirectly diagnosed by measuring serum antibodies against H,K-ATPase, HELICOBACTER PYLORI and intrinsic factor, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The studied groups consisted of 47 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 9 with AD pathology in combination with additive vascular lesions, 59 with vascular dementia, 8 who were cognitively impaired, and 101 control cases. Plasma Hcy concentrations were significantly elevated in the dementia groups, with the highest levels in patients with vascular pathology. We conclude that hyperhomocysteinemia is a common finding in patients with dementia disorders of different etiologies. The markers for gastritis did not contribute to an elucidation of a possible connection between this condition, dementia disorders, or cobalamin/folate deficiency.