Effectiveness of the Urease Test and Pathohistological Studies in Detecting Helicobacter pylori
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2415-8127.2025.72.14Keywords:
Helicobacter pylori, gastritis, urease test, May-Grünwald staining, pathohistological studiesAbstract
Introduction. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the gastric mucosa, contributing to the development of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer. Due to its spiral shape and flagella, H. pylori is able to actively move in a thick layer of mucus, and the urease enzyme it produces helps it survive in the acidic environment of the stomach. Early and accurate diagnosis is key to effective treatment and prevention of complications.. Objective. To compare the diagnostic effectiveness of the urease test (URE-HPtest, Erba-Lachema, Czech Republic) and pathohistological studies in detecting H. pylori. Materials and Methods. We analyzed 1025 gastric mucosa biopsy samples obtained in 2024 from patients of the private clinic "Floris-S". For H. pylori detection, a urease test was used, as well as histological examination of samples stained with hematoxylin-eosin and by the May-Grünwald-Giemsa method. Results. The average age of patients was 63 years, with women accounting for 70.5% of the total. Pathohistological signs of chronic gastritis were found in 33.39% of samples positive for H. pylori. Among samples with a positive urease test result, H. pylori was histologically confirmed in 72.6% of cases. Comparative analysis showed that the URE-HPtest has high diagnostic effectiveness, but its results do not always correlate with histological data. Histological diagnosis of H. pylori has certain limitations, which are dependent on the concentration of bacteria and the pathologist's experience. However, the number of bacteria is also a key limitation of non-invasive diagnostic methods. Conclusions. The complex of pathohistological studies supplemented by the urease test is an effective method for diagnosing H. pyloriassociated gastropathies. The obtained data confirm the high sensitivity of histology and its advantage over the urease test, as it allows for the detection of not only the bacterium but also co-occurring pathological changes in the gastric mucosa.
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