Comparison of immunohistochemistry and silver stain for the diagnosis of pediatric Helicobacter pylori infection in urease-negative gastric biopsies

We compared immunohistochemical and silver stains of pediatric gastric biopsy sections for the identification of Helicobacter pylori infection with chronic inflammation and a negative urease screening test. Thirty-seven patients (age range 10 months to 21 years) whose gastric antral biopsies were negative for the rapid urease test (CLO(R)) but positive for lymphocytic infiltration were selected for a retrospective study. Specimens had been subjected to a rapid urease test (CLO(R)) and hematoxylin and eosin staining, and Dieterle silver staining and immunohistochemical staining specific for H. pylori were also performed. Twelve additional patients with urease-positive biopsies were used as controls. With Dieterle staining, 8/37 (22%) urease-negative biopsies contained organisms morphologically compatible with H. pylori, 21/37 (56%) contained organisms not compatible with H. pylori, and 8/37 (22%) were negative for organisms. Immunostaining confirmed 6/8 (75%) Dieterle-positive cases as being H. pylori, was negative in 2/8 (25%) Dieterle-positive cases, and was positive in 2/8 (25%) Dieterle-negative cases. Biopsies from 8/12 (67%) urease-positive specimens contained organisms seen with both Dieterle and immunohistochemical stains, and 4/12 (33%) were negative with both stains. Although both stains yielded comparable results with H. pylori-positive biopsies, Dieterle staining was potentially confusing because of nonspecific staining of other organisms. A significant proportion of (CLO(R))-negative biopsies was positive for H. pylori with special stains. We therefore recommend the use of immunohistochemical staining rather than silver staining in the evaluation of urease-negative gastric biopsies demonstrating chronic inflammation in children.