Comparison of Four Tests for the Diagnosis of Infection.

Background: Due to lower operational costs, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) may prioritize stool antigen testing (HpStAg) for the non-invasive diagnosis of infection over 13C-urea breath tests (13C-UBTs). The aim of our study was to compare the accuracy of the diagnostic tests for .

Methods: We performed histology, rapid urease test (RUT), 13C-UBT and HpStAg on consecutive patients referred for gastroscopy.

Comparing a New Flow Immune-Chromatography Fast Assay with a Random Access Semi-Automatic Chemiluminescent Immunoassay to Measure Fecal Calprotectin.

Objective: The biomarker fecal calprotectin is an efficacious tool for evaluating the level of disease activity in Crohn's and Ulcerative colitis, as well as for discriminating between inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. The aim of this investigation was to appraise the analytical proficiency of a novel flow immune-chromatography assay through comparison with the established gold standard system in our laboratory.

Methods: A cohort comprising of 125 stool samples, submitted for the purpose of routine calprotectin levels analysis, underwent assessment using two distinct approaches: the Liaison XL system and the SmarTest assay, while adhering to identical cut-off criteria.

Gluten Immunogenic Peptides Are Not Correlated With Reported Adherence to Gluten-Free Diet in Children With Celiac Disease.

Objective: There is no gold standard to assess adherence to gluten-free diet (GFD) among patients with celiac disease (CeD). Gluten immunogenic peptides (GIPs) in urine and stool were suggested as novel markers for evaluating adherence to GFD. Our aim was to assess the presence of GIP in pediatric patients with CeD, and to compare the results with alternative methods for evaluating GFD adherence.

A Novel Fecal Elastase Assay for the Detection of Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency.

Background: Fecal pancreatic elastase 1 (FPE1) is an established screening test for pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI), a condition that is underdiagnosed and if not treated may cause significant morbidity. The aim of this study was to compare a new FPE1 machine based CLIA kit to an ELISA assay which is considered the de facto gold standard in our laboratory for FPE1 measurement.

Methods: Levels of FPE1 from the 227 stool samples were analyzed by the ScheBo ELISA kit and the CLIA Liaison XL system simultaneously with the same cutoff values for both assays.

Lasting Effects of Helicobacter pylori Infection on the Microbial Communities of Patients with and without Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth.

Gastrointestinal (GI) microbial populations are important in maintaining normal functioning of the GI by preventing disorders. Dysbiotic microbiota may increase the likelihood of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a syndrome associated with significant morbidity. We aimed to inves- tigate the microbiota populations of patients with SIBO.

Clinical Accuracy of a New Rapid Assay for Fecal Calprotectin Measurement.

Background: Fecal calprotectin is an excellent biomarker for distinguishing inflammatory bowel disease from irritable bowel syndrome and for evaluation of disease activity in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The aim of this work was to evaluate the analytical performance of a new flow immune chromatography assay by comparing it to our standardized laboratory gold standard system.

Methods: A total of 100 stool samples sent for routine calprotectin level measurements were analyzed by the Liaison XL system and the QuantOn Cal assay simultaneously using the same cutoff values for both assays.

Novel high resolution melt curve assay for the analysis of predominance of Helicobacter pylori clarithromycin resistance.

Clarithromycin resistance is the most common cause of Helicobacter pylori treatment failure and it is attributed to three point mutations, A2142G, A2142C and A2143G, within the 23S rRNA gene. We aimed to determine the prevalence of H. pylori clarithromycin resistance using a novel high resolution melt assay.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth May Increase the Likelihood of Lactose and Sorbitol but not Fructose Intolerance False Positive Diagnosis.

Background: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is defined as a bacterial count of more than 10 colony-forming units per milliliter in duodenal aspirate. It shares many symptoms with carbohydrate intolerance, which makes the clinical distinction of the disorders difficult. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between a positive carbohydrate breath test and the presence of SIBO suggested by a positive lactulose hydrogen breath test.