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Intel Lab Diagnostics Dubai
Single Biomarker

Helicobacter Pylori Antigen

H. pylori Stool Antigen

This stool test detects active H. pylori infection by identifying bacterial antigens. It is more accurate than blood antibody tests for confirming current infection and verifying successful treatment.

STOOL24 HOURSNO FASTING
AEDAED270
  • Free home collection
  • Physician-reviewed report

24 Hours

Turnaround

Stool

Sample

About This Test

What the Helicobacter Pylori Antigen test tells you

Helicobacter pylori is a spiral bacterium that lives in the mucus layer lining the stomach. Many people carry it for years without knowing; in others it causes chronic gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, and over long periods it raises the risk of certain stomach cancers. This test looks in a stool sample for antigens, meaning fragments of the bacterium itself, which are shed continuously for as long as the organism is present.

Detecting the organism rather than the body's reaction to it is the whole point, and it is what separates this test from the H. pylori antibody blood test. Antibodies stay in the blood long after an infection has been cured, so a positive antibody result cannot tell a current infection from one dealt with years ago. Stool antigen is only present while the bacterium is actually there. That makes this test suitable both for diagnosing an active infection and, importantly, for confirming that a course of eradication treatment has genuinely worked, which the antibody test cannot do.

For the result to be trustworthy, medication timing matters more here than for most tests. Antibiotics, bismuth-containing preparations and acid-suppressing proton pump inhibitors suppress the bacterium without necessarily clearing it, and can produce a falsely negative result in someone who is still infected. Your doctor will normally ask you to stop these for a defined period beforehand, and to leave an interval after finishing eradication therapy before testing for cure.

Sample type
Stool
Turnaround
24 Hours
Fasting
Not required
Best for
All ages
Why Get Tested?

Preferred for diagnosing active H. pylori infection and confirming successful eradication after antibiotic therapy.

  • Confirming active infection

    Antigen appears in stool only while the bacterium is in the stomach, so a positive result reflects infection now rather than exposure at some point in the past.

  • Checking eradication worked

    After a course of treatment this test can confirm the organism has actually gone, which a blood antibody test cannot do.

  • Investigating indigestion

    In people with persistent dyspepsia or a history of ulcer, finding and treating H. pylori often resolves the underlying problem.

  • No endoscopy required

    It gives information about the organism itself from a sample you collect at home, without the discomfort of a gastroscopy.

When This Test Is Ordered

Reasons your doctor may request the Helicobacter Pylori Antigen test

Your doctor may order this test for any of the reasons below. Some are routine checks, others follow specific symptoms or an earlier result.

  • Persistent indigestion

    • Persistent indigestion, upper abdominal burning or fullness, particularly when it keeps returning.

  • Ulcers & unexplained anaemia

    • A current or previous stomach or duodenal ulcer.
    • Unexplained iron deficiency anaemia where the stomach is a possible source.

  • After treatment, family risk & before painkillers

    • Confirmation of cure after completing a course of eradication antibiotics, at the interval your doctor advises.
    • A close family member diagnosed with stomach cancer, when your doctor is assessing your own risk.
    • Before starting long-term anti-inflammatory painkillers or aspirin in someone at higher risk of ulcer.
Preparation
The short version
No prep needed.
  • Stool
  • Free home collection
  • No fasting
  • Results in 24 Hours
  1. 1
    Book any time

    No fasting window: pick any slot that suits you, online or on WhatsApp.

  2. 2
    We come to you

    A DHA-licensed nurse collects your sample at home or in the office: free home collection.

  3. 3
    Results in 24 Hours

    A physician-reviewed, easy-to-read report lands securely by WhatsApp and email.

Prep note
Physician reviewed

No fasting is required.

Medication timing is the part that matters most. Proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole and pantoprazole, along with bismuth preparations, need to be stopped for the interval your doctor specifies before the sample, because they suppress the bacterium and can produce a falsely negative result.

Antibiotics need a longer gap, and if you are testing to confirm eradication, wait the full period your doctor advises after your last tablet. Simple antacids and H2 blockers are usually less of a problem, but ask rather than assume, and never stop a prescribed medicine without advice.

Collect the stool sample into the container provided, keeping it free of urine and toilet water, and return it promptly.

Understanding Your Results

This test detects Helicobacter pylori antigen in a stool sample, so it reflects infection that is present now and is reported as "Detected" or "Not Detected". "Detected" means active infection of the stomach lining, infection persisting after an eradication course that did not fully work, reinfection after a previously successful course, or testing too soon after treatment, when fragments of dead organism may still be shed. "Not Detected" means no antigen was found and carries no separate significance of its own; it can also be falsely negative if you were taking a proton pump inhibitor, bismuth or antibiotics, which suppress the bacterium without eradicating it. Stopping those medicines for the period your doctor specifies is what makes a negative result trustworthy. Your doctor interprets it with your symptoms, your treatment history and, where needed, endoscopy.

SmartReport

Helicobacter Pylori Antigen

This test detects Helicobacter pylori antigen in a stool sample, so it reflects infection that is present now and is reported as "Detected" or "Not Detected". "Detected" means active infection of the stomach lining, infection persisting after an eradication course that did not fully work, reinfection after a previously successful course, or testing too soon after treatment, when fragments of dead organism may still be shed. "Not Detected" means no antigen was found and carries no separate significance of its own; it can also be falsely negative if you were taking a proton pump inhibitor, bismuth or antibiotics, which suppress the bacterium without eradicating it. Stopping those medicines for the period your doctor specifies is what makes a negative result trustworthy. Your doctor interprets it with your symptoms, your treatment history and, where needed, endoscopy.

Not Detected

The target was not detected: a negative result.

Detected

The target was detected: a positive result. Please consult your physician.

This test is reported descriptively rather than on a numeric scale: each finding below explains what your report may say.

This information is for general education only and is not medical advice. Reference ranges can vary by laboratory, age, sex, and individual factors. Always consult your physician or doctor to interpret your results.

Reading a High or Low Result

  • What a higher result can point to

    • Active infection of the stomach lining with Helicobacter pylori.
    • Infection persisting after eradication treatment that did not fully work, often because of antibiotic resistance.
    • Reinfection after a previously successful course, which is uncommon but does happen.
    • Testing too soon after finishing treatment, when fragments of dead organism may still be shed.

These are possibilities, not diagnoses. A single value outside the reference range is interpreted alongside your symptoms, history and other tests: your doctor decides what it means for you.

Limitations & Safety

What this test cannot tell you

  • A negative result obtained while taking a proton pump inhibitor, bismuth or antibiotics may be falsely negative, because these suppress the bacterium without eradicating it.
  • The test shows that the organism is present but says nothing about whether it has caused gastritis, an ulcer or any other damage, which needs endoscopy to establish.
  • Testing too soon after finishing treatment can give a positive result from residual antigen rather than from living infection.
  • A negative result means only that no antigen was detected and carries no separate significance of its own.

Risks of the blood draw

  • Mild bruising or brief soreness where the needle went in.
  • Occasional lightheadedness, which settles after a few minutes of rest.
  • Bleeding or infection at the site, which is rare with sterile single-use equipment.
Key Points
  • 1This test detects the bacterium itself, so it reflects infection that is present now.
  • 2Unlike the antibody blood test, it can be used to confirm that treatment has worked.
  • 3Acid-suppressing medicines, bismuth and antibiotics must be stopped for the period your doctor specifies, or the result may be falsely negative.
  • 4A positive result does not tell you whether an ulcer is present.
  • 5Treatment decisions, including which antibiotics to use, belong to your doctor.
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the Helicobacter Pylori Antigen test. Can't find what you're looking for?

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Antibodies persist in the blood long after the infection has been cleared, so a positive antibody result cannot distinguish a current infection from a past one. The stool antigen test detects the bacterium itself and turns negative once it is gone, which is what you need both for diagnosis and for confirming cure.