Comparison of Helicobacter pylori stool antigen, salivary IgG, serum IgG, and serum IgM as diagnostic markers of H. pylori infection in children

Various non-invasive diagnostic tests are available for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection. The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of HpSA, salivary IgG, serum IgG, and serum IgM to those of endoscopic-biopsy as the gold standard for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection.

This is a cross-sectional study performed among pediatric patients at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital (Surabaya, Indonesia). Fecal, blood, and saliva samples were collected from all subjects. The results of the HpSA, salivary IgG, serum IgG, and serum IgM tests were compared to the results of endoscopic-biopsy as the gold standard. Of the 37 study participants, H. pylori infection was confirmed in 5 (13.33%) with serum IgG, 23 (63.33%) with serum IgM, 15 (40%) with HpSA, and 26 (70.97%) with salivary IgG. The salivary IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was the only diagnostic test with significantly different results, as compared to biopsy (p = 0.017). The results of this study showed that HpSA, salivary IgG, and serum IgG and IgM were not sufficient to replace endoscopic-biopsy as the gold standard for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection.