[Histonet] Re: H. Pylori Testing

[Garreyf]

In the past when using giemsa stain, 
I came across two human cases of very long helicobacter organisms.. I was stumped the first time since I had never seen one previously. I reflexed both to immuno and both were positive with the h pylori antibody. I assume they were both heilmani. I think it was called gastrospirillum in the past.I agree the immuno stain is much faster (easier)to look at.  I've never studied it but it's sensitivity is probably just a little better than giemsa. It's those cases with very few organisms that are more apt to  be missed using a non-immuno type of stain.  Agree about the contaminants as well .... we alway went on the seagull shaped morphology though.


Garrey

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 29, 2015, at 2:04 PM, Bob Richmond <rsrichmond <@t> gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Nancy Stedman observes:
> 
>>> I believe IHC is more sensitive than the special stains too. One caveat
> for anyone who works with veterinary samples - the H. pylori antibodies are
> specific for H. pylori, so I have not found these antibodies to be helpful
> for evaluating other species with helicobacter-associated gastritis. One
> exception is the antibody made by Biocare which seems to stain some of the
> feline helicobacters, and maybe others too (have not tried).<<
> 
> As far as I know, the only Helicobacter species other than H. pylori
> reported as a human pathogen is H. heilmanii - I've seen it exactly once,
> with a dye method - supposedly more common in Japan, often with a history
> of close association with cats. Supposedly H. heilmanii marks with the
> commercial IHC antibodies also.
> 
> I don't think the data exist to show that IHC is more sensitive than the
> older dye methods, in terms of detecting clinical disease. As I noted
> before, the IHC is much faster for the pathologist to read. Also, many
> pathologists report any bacteria seen with dye methods as H. pylori,
> including the bacteria brought down by the endoscope from the oral cavity.
> 
> Bob Richmond
> Samurai Pathologist
> Maryville TN
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