Accuracy of faecal occult blood test and Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test for detection of upper gastrointestinal lesions

Yi Chia Lee, Han Mo Chiu, Tsung Hsien Chiang, Amy Ming Fang Yen, Sherry Yueh Hsia Chiu, Sam Li Sheng Chen, Jean Ching Yuan Fann, Yen Po Yeh, Chao Sheng Liao, Tsung Hui Hu, Chia Hung Tu, Ping Huei Tseng, Chien Chuan Chen, Mei Jyh Chen, Jyh Ming Liou, Wei Chih Liao, Yo Ping Lai, Chen Ping Wang, Jenq Yuh Ko, Hsiu Po WangHung Chiang, Jaw Town Lin, Hsiu Hsi Chen, Ming Shiang Wu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: Highly sensitive guaiac-based faecal occult blood (Hemoccult SENSA) and Helicobacter pylori stool antigen testing might help detect upper gastrointestinal lesions when appended to a colorectal cancer screening programme with faecal immunochemical testing. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracies of two stool tests in detecting upper gastrointestinal lesions. Design: Cross-sectional design. Setting: Hospital-based and community-based screening settings. Participants: A hospital-based deviation cohort of 3172 participants to evaluate test performance and a community-based validation cohort of 3621 to verify the findings. Interventions: Three types of stool tests with bidirectional endoscopy as the reference standard. Outcomes: Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative likelihood ratios. Results: For detecting upper gastrointestinal lesions in cases with negative immunochemical tests, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios of the guaiac-based and H pylori antigen tests were 16.3% (95% CI 13.3% to 19.8%), 90.1% (88.9% to 91.2%), 1.64 (1.31 to 2.07), and 0.93 (0.89 to 0.97), respectively, and 52.5% (48.1% to 56.9%), 80.6% (79.0% to 82.1%), 2.71 (2.41 to 3.04) and 0.59 (0.54 to 0.65), respectively. For detecting upper gastrointestinal lesions in cases with normal colonoscopy, the results of the guaiac-based and H pylori antigen tests were 17.9% (14.8% to 21.5%), 90.1% (88.9% to 91.2%), 1.81 (1.45 to 2.26) and 0.91 (0.87 to 0.95), respectively, and 53.1% (48.6% to 57.4%), 80.7% (79.1% to 82.2%), 2.75 (2.45 to 3.08) and 0.58 (0.53 to 0.64), respectively. Within the community, positive predictive values of the immunochemical and H pylori antigen tests were 36.0% (26.0% to 46.0%) and 31.9% (28.3% to 35.5%), respectively, for detecting lower and upper gastrointestinal lesions, which were similar to expected values. Conclusions: The H pylori stool antigen test is more accurate than the guaiac-based test in the screening of upper gastrointestinal lesions in a population with high prevalence of H pylori infection and upper gastrointestinal lesions. It is applicable to add the H pylori antigen test to the immunochemical test for pan detection. Trial registration: NCT01341197 (ClinicalTrial.gov).

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere003989
JournalBMJ Open
Volume3
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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