Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Urea Breath Test for the Noninvasive Detection of Helicobacter pylori

  • Protocol
  • First Online:
Helicobacter Pylori

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2283))

Abstract

The concept of the urea breath test (UBT), as a method for H. pylori detection, is based on the ability of the H. pylori urease enzyme to break down an isotope-labelled urea solution ingested by the patient into carbon dioxide (CO2) and ammonia. This chapter summarizes the current use of the UBT and the utility of the “UBT and Treat” strategy compared to other strategies for the management of H. pylori infection . Different UBT methods are described as well as factors affecting the accuracy of the test.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Warren JR, Marshall B (1983) Unidentified curved bacilli on gastric epithelium in active chronic gastritis. Lancet 1:1273–1275

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Marshall BJ, Warren JR (1984) Unidentified curved bacilli in the stomach of patients with gastritis and peptic ulceration. Lancet 323:1311–1315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Coghlan JG, Gilligan D, Humphries H et al (1987) Campylobacter pylori and recurrence of duodenal ulcer-a 12 month follow-up study. Lancet 2:1109–1111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Graham DY, Klein PD, Evans DJ Jr et al (1987) Campylobacter pylori detected noninvasively by the 13C-urea breath test. Lancet 1:1174–1177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Marshall BJ, Surveyor I (1988) Carbon-14 urea breath test for the diagnosis of Campylobacter pylori associated gastritis. J Nucl Med 29:11–16

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Veldhuyzen van Zanten SJ, Tytgat KM, Hollingsworth J et al (1990) 14C-urea breath test for the detection of Helicobacter pylori. Am J Gastroenterol 85:399–403

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Dill S, Payne-James JJ, Misiewicz JJ et al (1990) Evaluation of 13C-urea breath test in the detection of Helicobacter pylori and in monitoring the effect of tripotassium dicitratobismuthate in non-ulcer dyspepsia. Gut 31:1237–1241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Malfertheiner P, Megraud F, O’Morain CA et al (2017) Management of Helicobacter pylori infection-the Maastricht V/Florence Consensus Report. Gut 66:6–30

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Talley NJ, Vakil NB, Moayyedi P (2005) American Gastroenterological Association technical review on the evaluation of dyspepsia. Gastroenterology 129:1756–1780

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Moayyedi P, Axon AT (1999) The usefulness of the likelihood ratio in the diagnosis of dyspepsia and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Am J Gastroenterol 94:3122–3125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Moayyedi P, Deeks J, Talley NJ et al (2003) An update of the Cochrane systematic review of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in nonulcer dyspepsia: resolving the discrepancy between systematic reviews. Am J Gastroenterol 98:2621–2626

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Howden CW, Blume SW, de Lissovoy G (2007) Practice patterns for managing Helicobacter pylori infection and upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Am J Manag Care 13:37–44

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Arents NL, Thijs JC, van Zwet AA et al (2003) Approach to treatment of dyspepsia in primary care: a randomized trial comparing “test-and-treat” with prompt endoscopy. Arch Intern Med 163:1606–1612

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Duggan AE, Elliott CA, Miller P et al (2009) Clinical trial: a randomized trial of early endoscopy, Helicobacter pylori testing and empirical therapy for the management of dyspepsia in primary care. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 29:55–68

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. McColl KE, Murray LS, Gillen D et al (2002) Randomised trial of endoscopy with testing for Helicobacter pylori compared with non-invasive H pylori testing alone in the management of dyspepsia. BMJ 324:999–1002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Delaney BC, Qume M, Moayyedi P et al (2008) Helicobacter pylori test and treat versus proton pump inhibitor in initial management of dyspepsia in primary care: multicentre randomised controlled trial (MRC-CUBE trial). BMJ 336:651–654

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. O’Connor A, O’Moráin N, Dobson M et al (2010) Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment is more successful when diagnosis is made after urea breath test than after rapid urease testing at endoscopy in patients with dyspepsia. Gastroenterology 138:S-33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Gatta L, Vakil N, Ricci C et al (2004) Effect of proton pump inhibitors and antacid therapy on 13C urea breath tests and stool test for helicobacter pylori infection. Am J Gastroenterol 99:823–829

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Lan HC, Chen TS, Li AFY et al (2012) Additional corpus biopsy enhances the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection in a background of gastritis with atrophy. BMC Gastroenterol 12:182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Weston AP, Campbell DR, Hassanein RS et al (1997) Prospective, multivariate evaluation of CLOtest performance. Am J Gastroenterol 92:1310–1315

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Hamlet A, Stage L, Lonroth H et al (1999) A novel tablet-based 13C urea breath test for Helicobacter pylori with enhanced performance during acid suppression therapy. Scand J Gastroenterol 34:367–374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Gatta L, Vakil N, Ricci C et al (2003) A rapid, low-dose, 13C-urea tablet for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection before and after treatment. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 17:793–798

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Liao CC, Lee CL, Chiang TC et al (2002) The 13C-urea breath test to detect Helicobacter pylori infection: a validated simple methodology with 50 mg 13C-urea. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 16:787–792

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Malaty HM, El-Zimaity HM, Genta RM et al (1996) Twenty-minute fasting version of the US 13C-urea breath test for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. Helicobacter 1:165–167

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Peng NJ, Lai KH, Liu RS et al (2005) Capsule 13C-urea breath test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. World J Gastroenterol 11:1361–1364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Epple HJ, Kirstein FW, Bojarski C et al (1997) 13C-urea breath test in Helicobacter pylori diagnosis and eradication. Correlation to histology, origin of ‘false’ results, and influence of food intake. Scand J Gastroenterol 32:308–314

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Mana F, Franken PR, Ham HR et al (2000) 13C urea breath test with nondispersive isotope-selective infrared spectrometry: reproducibility and importance of the fasting status. Helicobacter 5:104–108

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Schoeller DA, Klein PD, Watkins JB et al (1980) 13C abundances of nutrients and the effect of variations in 13C isotopic abundances of test meals formulated for 13CO2 breath tests. Am J Clin Nutr 33:2375–2385

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Moayyedi P, Braunholtz D, Heminbrough E et al (1997) Do patients need to fast for a 13C-urea breath test? Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 9:275–277

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Graham DY, Runke D, Anderson SY et al (1999) Citric acid as the test meal for the 13C-urea breath test. Am J Gastroenterol 94:1214–1217

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Shiotani A, Dore MP, Graham DY (2016) Urea breath test and rapid urease test. In: Sazuki H, Warren R, Marshall B (eds) Helicobacter pylori. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  32. Osaki S, Mabe K, Hanawa T, Kamiya S (2008) Urease-positive bacteria in the stomach induce a false-positive reaction in a urea breath test for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. J Med Microbiol 57:814–819

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Graham DY, Klein PD (2000) Accurate diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori. 13C-urea breath test. Gastroenterol Clin N Am 29:885–893

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Gisbert JP, Pajares JM (2004) 13C-urea breath test in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection—a critical review. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 20:1001–1017

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Kato S, Ozawa K, Konno M et al (2002) Diagnostic accuracy of the 13C-urea breath test for childhood Helicobacter pylori infection: a multicenter Japanese study. Am J Gastroenterol 97:1668–1673

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Leal YA, Flores LL, Fuentes-Pananá EM et al (2011) 13C-urea breath test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Helicobacter 16:327–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin 24, Ireland

    Anthony O’Connor

  2. School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Anthony O’Connor

Authors
  1. Anthony O’Connor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony O’Connor .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Sinead M Smith

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

About this protocol

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this protocol

O’Connor, A. (2021). The Urea Breath Test for the Noninvasive Detection of Helicobacter pylori. In: Smith, S.M. (eds) Helicobacter Pylori. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2283. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1302-3_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1302-3_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-1301-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-1302-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation