Current progress toward eradicating Helicobacter pylori in East Asian countries: Differences in the 2013 revised guidelines between China, Japan, and South Korea

Table 2 Diagnostic methods for Helicobacter pylori infection in 2013 guidelines

		China	Japan	South Korea
For initial diagnosis	Non-invasive methods	Urea breath test	Serum antibody test	Serum antibody test
		Stool antigen test	Urea breath test	Urea breath test
			Stool antigen test	Stool antigen test
	Invasive methods	Rapid urease test	Rapid urease test	Rapid urease test
		Histology	Histology	Histology
		Culture	Culture
Follow-up test after eradication	Non-invasive methods	Urea breath test	Serum antibody test1	Urea breath test
		Stool antigen test	Urea breath test	Stool antigen test
			Stool antigen test
	Invasive methods	Rapid urease test	Rapid urease test	Rapid urease test
			Histology	Histology
			Culture

¹In Japan, a decrease relative to the initial antibody titer of more than 50% after 6-12 mo is considered to be the most accurate method for determining successful eradication. Since the Japanese national health insurance system covers 2 of 3 non-invasive tests at the same time, either “serology with the urea breath test” or “serology with the stool antigen test” is usually performed before and after Helicobacter pylori eradication.