Background: Several direct or non direct methods may be used to detect H. pylori infection. A molecular method, PCR with ureA primers, was used in this study in 43 gastric biopsies obtained from paediatric patients with digestive symptomatology and the results were compared with those obtained by histology and culture.
Methods: Culture and histological stain were performed from gastric biopsies taken at routine endoscopy following standard methodology. A PCR with specific primers for the ureA gene was applied and the 411 pb fragment detected by agarose gel electrophoresis.
Results: From the 43 gastric biopsies, 21 were positive by culture (48.8%), 25 by histology (58.1%) and 29 by PCR (67.4%). In 30 biopsies (69.7%) PCR results were in good agreement with the reference method (histology and/or culture). In 7 biopsies the PCR was positive (16.3%), although the reference method was negative and in 6 (13.9%) the PCR was negative being positive the histology (5 samples) or histology and culture (1 sample).
Conclusions: PCR shows the highest positive percentage among the methods used. The use of as many methods as possible in the H. pylori infection, increases the diagnosis of the infection.