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HELICOBACTER PYLORI - IgA (ELISA)
Bacterial/ Viral
Report in 12Hrs
At Home
No Fasting Required
Details
Detects the presence of IgA antibodies against H. pylori bacteria in the blood using the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) method
₹2,475₹4,125
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HELICOBACTER PYLORI - IgA (ELISA)
- Why is it done?
- Test Purpose: Detects IgA antibodies against Helicobacter pylori bacteria in serum, indicating current or recent infection with this gastric pathogen
- Primary Indications: Investigation of peptic ulcer disease, chronic gastritis, functional dyspepsia, and gastric carcinoma risk assessment
- Clinical Scenarios: Patients presenting with chronic abdominal pain, nausea, recurrent dyspepsia, or those with family history of gastric malignancy
- Screening and Monitoring: Used for initial screening in endemic areas, post-treatment verification (wait 4+ weeks), and assessment of eradication therapy efficacy
- Population Risk Assessment: Identification of infected individuals at risk for adenocarcinoma, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, or other H. pylori-related complications
- Normal Range
- Negative Result: <0.9 U/mL or <1.0 AU/mL (depending on laboratory); indicates absence of H. pylori-specific IgA antibodies
- Borderline/Equivocal: 0.9-1.1 U/mL or 1.0-1.1 AU/mL; uncertain result requiring repeat testing or confirmatory methods
- Positive Result: >1.1 U/mL or >1.1 AU/mL; indicates presence of H. pylori-specific IgA antibodies suggesting infection
- Units of Measurement: U/mL (Units per milliliter) or AU/mL (Arbitrary Units per milliliter), depending on assay manufacturer
- Clinical Interpretation: Normal/Negative indicates no current H. pylori infection; Abnormal/Positive suggests active or recent infection requiring clinical correlation and possible confirmatory testing
- Interpretation
- Positive IgA Result: Suggests active H. pylori infection or recent exposure; IgA indicates mucosal immune response, particularly relevant for gastric and upper intestinal involvement; may persist for weeks to months post-treatment
- Negative IgA Result: Indicates absence of H. pylori-specific IgA antibodies; may reflect no infection, early infection (pre-seroconversion), or successful eradication therapy; negative does not completely exclude infection in all scenarios
- IgA vs IgG Significance: IgA antibodies indicate mucosal immunity and reflect more recent/active infection compared to IgG; IgA typically declines faster after treatment, making it valuable for post-eradication assessment
- Factors Affecting Results: Recent antibiotic therapy (may reduce antibody titers), proton pump inhibitor use (may suppress bacterial load), immunosuppression (weak response possible), timing of testing relative to infection onset, and individual variation in antibody production
- Clinical Correlation Required: Results must be interpreted alongside clinical symptoms, endoscopy findings, and other diagnostic tests; serological results alone cannot definitively rule in or rule out infection
- Sensitivity and Specificity: IgA ELISA typically has 80-95% sensitivity and 85-95% specificity; performance varies by assay manufacturer and population studied
- Associated Organs
- Primary Organ Systems: Gastrointestinal system, specifically the stomach mucosa; duodenum and gastroesophageal junction may be secondarily involved
- Associated Diseases and Conditions: Chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcer disease (duodenal and gastric ulcers), atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, gastric adenocarcinoma, MALT lymphoma, functional dyspepsia, and increased risk of gastric malignancy
- Complications of Infection: Chronic inflammation leading to ulceration and bleeding, gastric perforation, outlet obstruction, progression to intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia, increased gastric carcinoma risk (2-3 fold elevation), and MALT lymphoma development
- Systemic Effects: Potential associations with systemic conditions including iron deficiency anemia, thrombocytopenia, and extra-gastric manifestations in some populations
- Long-term Sequelae: Untreated chronic infection may progress to severe gastric atrophy, hypochlorhydria, increased gastric pH affecting nutrient absorption, and significantly elevated malignancy risk over decades
- Follow-up Tests
- Confirmatory Testing: Urea breath test (UBT), stool antigen test (HpSA), or endoscopic biopsies with rapid urease test (RUT), histology, and bacterial culture for definitive diagnosis
- Complementary Serological Tests: H. pylori IgG ELISA (indicates past/chronic infection), H. pylori IgM (indicates acute infection), or combined IgA/IgG testing for enhanced diagnostic accuracy
- Gastric Assessment: Upper endoscopy (EGD) with gastric biopsies for histopathology, evaluation of gastritis severity, detection of ulcers, dysplasia, or malignancy; gastric pH testing if atrophic gastritis suspected
- Post-Treatment Monitoring: Urea breath test or stool antigen test 4+ weeks after eradication therapy completion to confirm successful treatment; repeat IgA testing at 3-6 months to document antibody decline
- Risk Stratification Testing: Serum pepsinogen I/II ratio (assess for atrophy), ghrelin and gastrin levels (functional assessment), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or CA 19-9 if malignancy suspected
- Additional Investigations: Complete blood count (anemia assessment), iron studies (iron deficiency evaluation), comprehensive metabolic panel (nutritional status), imaging (CT/MRI) for malignancy staging if indicated
- Monitoring Frequency: Initial diagnosis followed by treatment verification 4+ weeks post-therapy; periodic endoscopic surveillance (1-3 years) for high-risk patients (extensive atrophy, dysplasia history, or strong malignancy risk factors)
- Fasting Required?
- Fasting Status: NO - Fasting is NOT required for H. pylori IgA ELISA serological testing
- Sample Collection: Blood draw can be performed at any time of day without regard to meal intake; serum antibodies are not significantly affected by fasting status
- Medication Considerations: Continue all regular medications; no specific medications need to be stopped; continue proton pump inhibitors, H2-receptor antagonists, or antibiotics as prescribed (inform laboratory of recent antibiotic use within past 2 weeks)
- Special Instructions: Inform healthcare provider of recent antibiotic therapy (wait 2+ weeks after antibiotics before testing if possible), bismuth compounds, or eradication therapy; ideal timing is 4+ weeks after completion of any H. pylori treatment to minimize false negatives
- Pre-Test Preparation: Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing for venipuncture; bring valid identification and insurance information; inform phlebotomist of any bleeding disorders or medications affecting coagulation
- Timing Recommendations: Morning collection preferred for consistency but not mandatory; maintain consistent testing time and laboratory for serial comparisons when monitoring antibody decline post-treatment
How our test process works!
