How does a breath test work for H. pylori?

13C urea breath test.

Principle: Helicobacter pylori (HP) contains urease, which breaks down urea into CO2. When the HP in the stomach encounters the swallowed 13C-urea, it will be broken down into 13CO2, which is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and reaches the lungs through the blood circulation and is excreted with exhalation.

Therefore, as long as the exhaled air is collected, it is possible to accurately determine whether there is an HP infection.

Normal people do not have HP, 13C-urea does not decompose, 13C-urea is excreted through the urinary system, and there is no 13CO2 in the exhaled air.

The exhaled air of a person infected with HP contains 13CO2.

13C can also be used to test gastric emptying, liver function and pancreatic exocrine function by labeling different compounds.

Since Helicobacter pylori (HP) is a highly active urease enzyme that breaks down urea to produce ammonia NH4 and CO2 containing a carbon-13 14 label, CO2 is absorbed in the upper part of the small intestine and enters the blood circulation.

Exhaled from the lungs. Exhaled air is collected and the presence of H. pylori infection can be determined by analyzing the amount of carbon-13-14-labeled CO2 in the exhaled breath.

Principle: Using the method of C-13 isotope breath test detection, you only need to blow a breath into a specific disposable special breath test card to detect the number of susceptible infections in the patient's body.

Through oral administration of C-13 urea capsules, after entering the stomach, if there is Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, the bacteria will secrete urease to hydrolyze urea, and the urea is hydrolyzed to form CO2 (carbon dioxide) that enters the lungs with the blood and is excreted with gas, and then the exhaled air is tested for whether there is labeled C-13, if there is one, it means that there is Helicobacter pylori.

However, it should be noted that Helicobacter pylori is normally found in the human body, but more than 100dpm can easily cause cancer. And it's contagious.

Common methods for detecting Helicobacter pylori include:

Detection of urease activity in exhaled gas: People drink a solution containing urea and a marker substance, such as carbon or nitrogen, which breaks down urea and releases a marker if it is present in the stomach. The presence of H. pylori infection can be confirmed by measuring the amount of marker material in the exhaled gas.

Serum antibody testing: Infection status is determined by testing for H. pylori-specific antibodies in a patient's blood. This approach can be used for initial screening and to determine a past history of infection, but it cannot distinguish between active and past infection.

Antigen detection in stool: Infection status is determined by testing for H. pylori antigens in a patient's stool. This method is simple, non-intrusive, and highly accurate.

Histopathological examination: through gastroscopy and obtaining gastric mucosal tissue specimens, and then histological examination of the specimens to determine whether there is Helicobacter pylori infection in the tissue. This is the "gold standard" method for confirming the diagnosis of H. pylori infection, but it requires gastroscopy and is an invasive test.

Breath test with histology: This method combines a breath gas test and a gastroscopy histology. A breath gas test is performed first, and if the result is positive, a gastroscopy is performed to obtain a tissue sample for further diagnosis.

Each of these tests has its own advantages and disadvantages, and depending on the specific situation (e.g., severity of illness, financial conditions, medical resources, etc.), doctors will choose the appropriate test to confirm the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. Consult your doctor for detailed consultation and advice on how to choose the most appropriate test.

First, rapid urease test, second, breath test, third, pathological examination, fourth, blood Helicobacter pylori antibody test, fifth. Stool is tested for Helicobacter pylori antibodies. The 5th method is the main method for detecting H. pylori.

Carbon 13 breath test, which is performed on an empty stomach or two hours after a meal. The patient has not taken sensitive drugs such as antibiotics and secret medicine in the past month, otherwise the test result will be falsely negative. Carbon 14 breath test, carbon 14 breath test is a method used in clinical practice to detect H. pylori infection.

The test subjects need to take one urea capsule with about 20 ml of cold boiled water on an empty stomach and sit still for 25 minutes.

Do a C14 or C13 breath test. This method is to swallow a urea capsule containing 14 or 13, blow vigorously every 15 minutes, detect the color change of the reagent, and determine whether there is Helicobacter pylori infection in the stomach. Gastroscopy.

In the gastroscopic antrum, Helicobacter pylori generally grows here, and the mucosa is tested for rapid urease, or the mucosa is taken for bacteriological testing, which is somewhat traumatic. Blood was drawn to check for Helicobacter pylori antibodies, and a positive antibody result indicates that there is Helicobacter pylori infection, but it is possible that there was a Helicobacter pylori infection in the past, and now the patient is also positive and cannot be distinguished. The stool test for Helicobacter pylori antibodies is the same as the third method, and the results of those who have been infected in the past are also positive.

Breath test refers to swallowing urea containing carbon-13 or carbon-14 elements into the stomach, urea reacts with urease produced by Helicobacter pylori to produce carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, exhaled from the lungs, exhaled gas, and the exhaled gas is collected to detect its carbon-13 or carbon-14 content to determine whether there is Helicobacter pylori infection in the body;

If there is a history of Helicobacter pylori infection, Helicobacter pylori antibodies can appear in the blood, and whether there is Helicobacter pylori infection in the body can be indirectly judged through antibodies; The rapid urease method, that is, during gastroscopy, the mucosa in the stomach is taken for a rapid urease test to determine whether there is Helicobacter pylori infection in the gastric mucosa; During histopathological biopsy, special staining can be used to observe the presence of H. pylori infection in the stomach during histopathological biopsy.

First of all, you should take a blood test or breath sampling test, and you can also test the gastroscopic material, these three experiments are still more reliable and objective, you should often go to the test, otherwise it will cause the onset of other diseases.

You can choose to do gastroscopy, breath sampling, blood drawing, urine test, stool test, these methods can accurately detect Helicobacter pylori.

Blood grouping tests can be performed, saliva tests can be performed, urea breath tests can be performed, gastroscopy can be performed, and carbon-14 tests can be performed.

The detection methods of Helicobacter pylori include direct microscopic examination, rapid urokinase test, isolation and culture, urea breath test, antigenological test, and nucleic acid detection.

1.Direct microscopic examination: gastroscopy takes gastric mucosal tissue biopsy specimens and smears are smeared for Gram staining to observe Gram-negative curved or spiral bacteria.

2.Rapid urease test: Gastric mucosal biopsy tissue is added to the urea reagent with phenol red as an indicator, and if the reagent turns from yellow to red, it is positive, suggesting that there may be live Helicobacter pylori in the gastric mucosal tissue.

3.Isolation and culture: Gastric mucosal biopsy tissue is inoculated directly or ground into the culture medium, and the identification is carried out after 2 to 6 days of culture. However, the sensitivity of isolated culture is affected by a variety of factors, and it is rarely used in clinical practice.

4.Urea breath test: If the patient is infected with Helicobacter pylori, the urease of the bacterium breaks down urea labeled with the nuclide to produce CO, which is present in large amounts in the patient's exhaled breath and can be detected using isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

5.Antigenological detection: Serum or feces are collected and ELISA is used to detect Helicobacter pylori-specific antibodies, which can reflect the infection status of H. pylori over time.

6.Nucleic acid detection: direct detection of Helicobacter pylori in gastric juice, feces, dental plaques and water sources using PCR technology.

If there is a suspicion of Helicobacter pylori infection, you should go to a regular hospital for relevant examinations in time, and the doctor will give targeted treatment after clarifying**.

There are several ways to check for H. pylori:

1.Helicobacter pylori antigen test: A sample of stool is collected to detect H. pylori antigen in the stool. This method is simple and non-invasive, but false-negative results may be present. Suitable for general routine screening.

2.Urea breath test: indirectly determines H. pylori infection by measuring urease activity in exhaled breath. This method is non-invasive and highly accurate. Suitable for initial screening and ambulatory monitoring.

3.Serum antibody testing: Infection is determined by measuring the level of Helicobacter pylori antibodies in serum, including anti-H

Pylori IgG, IgM and IgA, etc. This method is widely used, but it does not distinguish between active and old infections. Suitable for primary screening and diagnosis.

4.Helicobacter pylori culture: the presence of H. pylori is confirmed by taking a biological tissue sample of the gastric mucosa for culture.

This method requires gastroscopy and is invasive, but it can give accurate results. Suitable for diagnostic and bacterial susceptibility testing.

5.Helicobacter pylori PCR test: Molecular biology techniques are used to detect specific genes of Helicobacter pylori to determine the status of infection. This method is highly accurate and sensitive, allowing for rapid diagnosis of infection. It is suitable for early diagnosis and evaluation of the effect.

When choosing a method to detect fibril burning, factors such as personal circumstances, symptoms, physician recommendations, and medical resources should be considered. For initial screening or testing for non-specific symptoms, a H. pylori antigen test or a urea breath test may be used. For accurate diagnosis or drug susceptibility testing, H. pylori culture or PCR testing is generally required.

If in doubt, it is advisable to consult a doctor for more accurate advice.