The Effect of Treatment on Circulating Anti-Helicobacter pylori Antibodies — a Two-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

The majority of patients colonised with Helicobacter pylori elicit a detectable, systemic antibody response against this organism. The isotypes involved in this response are consistent with a chronic bacterial infection of a mucosal surface, with IgG and IgA predominating and IgM rarely seen [5]. This response forms the basis of a noninvasive, ELISA diagnostic test for H. pylori infection [4], which is suitable for screening patients prior to endoscopy [3]. However, the value of this test for monitoring treatment is questionable [2] because chronic bacterial infections tend to induce predominantly long-lived antibody responses. Nevertheless, serology is the only rapid, cheap, noninvasive and readily accessible diagnostic test available. We have, therefore, attempted to quantitatively assess the persistence of circulating anti-H. pylori antibodies after eradication of the organism, as determined using the ¹⁴C-urea breath test.