subject: H. Pylori Blood Antibody Tests [print this page] Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium present in the stomach, leads to chronic inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach. This bacterium is also responsible for almost half of the ulcer problems around the world. The helicobacter infection is common in areas with poor sanitation.
There are many tests which help to detect the Helicobacter pylori in the stomach. One of these is the blood antibody test. It is one of the easiest tests to detect the presence of antibodies to Helicobacter pylori. It helps to detect the presence of the bacterium rapidly. However, the antibodies can continue to be present in the blood long after H. pylori is not active.
Limitations of the blood antibody test
The blood antibody test is a blood test which confirms whether there is a presence of antibodies to H. pylori bacteria. If your body has made antibodies to Helicobacter pylori then it indicates that you have developed an infection or were infected in the past. In fact, the blood antibodies misclassify patients in one out of every five cases, resulting in patients being treated un-necessarily or not receiving treatment when it is warranted.
Preparation for the antibody test
You dont need to do anything before undergoing a blood antibody test. The same thing applies if you are planning to have a stool antigen test.
Apart from the blood antibody test, the tests that help to diagnose Helicobacter pylori infection noninvasively are the urea breath test, which is a test highly supported by medical societies, and the stool antigen test. Before undergoing any test, it is always best to talk to a health professional if you have any doubts regarding the need to conduct these tests, how they work and the meaning of the results.
