Evaluation of TheHelicobacter PyloriStool Antigen Test (Hpsa) for Detection ofHelicobacter PyloriInfection in Children

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is usually acquired in early childhood. Noninvasive methods for detection of H. pylori infection are required to study its incidence, transmission, and clearance. They should be easy to perform, inexpensive, and have a high diagnostic accuracy, especially in infants and toddlers. Both serology and the 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) do not fulfill all these requirements. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new enzyme immunoassay for detection of H. pylori antigen in stool (Premier Platinum HpSA, Meridian Diagnostics, Cincinnati, OH) in a large cohort of children and to compare it to invasive techniques and the 13C-UBT. HpSA was performed in 310 stool samples of 274 children divided into three groups. Group A consisted of 145 children and adolescents (0.5–19.8 yr, 66/145