Helicobacter Pylori 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.
- DHA-licensed lab
- Includes Doctor Consultation
- Physician-reviewed
- Same Day Collection
24 hours
Turnaround
Stool
Sample
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.
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.
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.
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.
Medically reviewed by Dr Nirupama Sabhapathy
This test is reported descriptively rather than on a numeric scale: each finding below explains what your report may say.
No H. pylori antigen in the stool; acid medicines or antibiotics can make this falsely negative.
H. pylori antigen in the stool: current infection; your doctor will advise on treatment.
Ranges are a guide: your physician interprets your result alongside your symptoms and history.
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.
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.
Collecting your sample safely
- No needle is involved, and collecting the sample carries no physical risk.
- Wash your hands well with soap and water afterwards, since stool can carry infection.
- Keep the sample clear of urine and toilet water, close the container firmly and keep it cool until it is collected.
- 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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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Helicobacter Pylori Antigen test. Can't find what you're looking for?
Talk to our team→A Detected result means H. pylori antigen was found in your stool, which usually points to an active infection of the stomach lining. After treatment it can also mean the infection persisted, often because of antibiotic resistance, that you were reinfected, or that the test was done too soon. Treatment decisions belong to your doctor.
Yes. Proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole or pantoprazole, bismuth preparations and antibiotics suppress the bacterium without eradicating it, so a test taken while on them can miss a real infection. A Not Detected result is only trustworthy if these were stopped for the interval your doctor specified.
Many people carry H. pylori with no symptoms at all. When it does cause trouble, it is usually through gastritis or an ulcer, with burning or gnawing pain in the upper abdomen, indigestion, bloating or nausea. Black stools, vomiting blood or unexplained weight loss need prompt medical attention rather than a stool test alone.
It can, in two ways. More often the first course did not fully clear it, frequently because of antibiotic resistance. Less commonly, a person is reinfected after a successful course. Because the stool antigen test detects the bacterium itself, it can tell your doctor whether infection is present now, provided the right interval after treatment has passed.
Collect a small amount of stool into the container provided, keeping it free of urine and toilet water, which can spoil the sample. Close the lid firmly, label it as instructed and return it promptly. Check with your doctor beforehand about any acid-suppressing medicine or antibiotic you are taking.
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.
It genuinely matters. Proton pump inhibitors reduce the number of bacteria in the stomach without eliminating them, and the antigen shed can fall below what the test picks up. Testing while on them risks a negative result in someone who is still infected. Ask your doctor before stopping any prescribed medicine.
Not immediately. Fragments of dead organism can still be shed for a while after antibiotics, which risks a positive result that no longer reflects living infection. Your doctor will tell you what interval to leave after your last dose.
No. Many people carry H. pylori without ulcers or symptoms. The test tells you the bacterium is there. Whether it has caused gastritis or an ulcer is a separate question that may need endoscopy, and your doctor decides whether that is warranted.
No fasting is required. What matters is medication timing: proton pump inhibitors, bismuth and antibiotics need to be stopped for the interval your doctor specifies, but never stop a prescribed medicine without advice.
The H. pylori stool antigen test is AED 140, including a physician-reviewed report, with results usually within 24 hours. Home collection anywhere in Dubai is free when your order reaches AED 300 or includes a package; below that, a AED 100 home collection fee applies (AED 50 for a lab walk-in).