DPC Offers First Automated Tests for H. pylori IgG

DPC has released outside the US the first automated Helicobacter pylori serum IgG assays which have also been cleared for marketing in the US. The availability of the assays on the IMMULITE® and IMMULITE® 2000 immunoassay analyzers makes H. pylori IgG serology fast, convenient, and cost-effective, and allows consolidation of this testing onto the DPC platform that the laboratory is currently using for its other immunoassay tests.

H. pylori infections are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide. In developing countries, the infection rate may reach as high as 100 percent, compared to 30 to 40 percent in developed countries. H. pylori is the causative agent of duodenal and gastric ulcers. Once acquired, infection persists for life unless treated. If left untreated, the infection can lead to gastric cancer. Early diagnosis allows for prompt treatment to help eradicate infection and prevent ulcer recurrence.

IgG serology is one of the most commonly ordered tests for H. pylori because it is rapid, sensitive, specific, minimally invasive, and cost-effective. The IMMULITE and IMMULITE 2000 assays have identical sensitivities and specificities of 95.7% and 98.8%, respectively, relative to biopsy.

Replacing the laboratory’s manual or semiautomated H. pylori test methodologies with either of DPC’s automated methods can provide the additional benefits of improved quality and reliability of results, faster turnaround times for physicians and patients, and labor savings for the lab. Laboratories that have sent out H. pylori testing can consider the increased revenue possible by bringing such testing in house.

The IMMULITE and IMMULITE 2000 offer sophisticated hardware and software for sample management, continuous random access, STAT testing, data reduction and integration. The IMMULITE 2000 adds advanced robotics and high-throughput capacity. Both offer solutions for automating H. pylori serology on one convenient immunoassay platform.