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Helicobacter Pylori Test

Also known as: H. pylori antibody test; H. pylori antigen test; H. pylori breath test

The Test Sample

What is being tested?

These tests are looking for evidence of an infection in your gastrointestinal tract by a bacterium, known as Helicobacter pylori. This bacterium is known to be a major cause of peptic ulcer disease. H. pylori is also associated with the development of gastric (stomach) cancer.

How is the sample collected for testing?

The sample collected depends on the test your doctor requests. It may be as simple as submitting a stool sample to look for the H-pylori antigen or a blood sample taken from your vein to detect antibody to the bacteria.

A more invasive test will require a procedure called an endoscopy, which means putting a tube down the throat into the stomach to take a small piece of tissue (a biopsy) from the stomach lining. A biopsy can be used to detect other reasons for stomach pain, as well as be tested in the laboratory for H-pylori. H-pylori produces urease, a special enzyme that allows it to survive in the acidic environment of the stomach. The lab can detect the presence of this bacterium by looking for this enzyme in the tissue sample. The tissue may also be examined under a microscope by a pathologist, who will look for these bacteria or any other signs of disease that may explain your symptoms.

Sometimes a breath test can be used instead of a biopsy. You will be asked to drink a special liquid containing a low level of harmless radioactive material. If H-pyloriis present in your GI tract, the material will be broken down into radio-labelled carbon dioxide gas. By testing the expelled air collected from your breath sample, the laboratory can determine if this organism is in your body.

NOTE: If undergoing medical tests makes you or someone you care for anxious, embarrassed, or even difficult to manage, you might consider reading one or more of the following articles: Coping with Test Pain, Discomfort, and Anxiety, Tips on Blood Testing, Tips to Help Children through Their Medical Tests, and Tips to Help the Elderly through Their Medical Tests.

Another article, Follow That Sample, provides a glimpse at the collection and processing of a blood sample and throat culture.

Is any test preparation needed to ensure the quality of the sample?

No special preparation is needed for the blood test.
For the breath test and if submitting a stool or having a biopsy you may be instructed to refrain from certain medications.
If undergoing endoscopy, you may be instructed to fast after midnight the night prior to the procedure.