News 2005
Recent studies supporting the use of GastroPanel
Several studies concerning GastroPanel have recently been on the agenda. At the World Congress of Gastroenterology in Montreal in September, the Swedish Kalixanda study was presented. The Kalixanda study, comprising a large population-based sample of individuals from Northern Sweden, concluded that biomarker assays show high accuracy in non-invasive diagnosis of atrophic corpus gastritis and that atrophic corpus gastritis is common in the general population. Click here for poster
A cost evaluation study of GastroPanel was presented at UEGW in Copenhagen in October. Based on the population study conducted in the Kainuu region in Finland, the use of GastroPanel could offer a possibility to reduce the amount of gastroscopies to less than half in the age group of 50 years and older. Click here for poster
Biohit also took part in the European Helicobacter Study Group (EHSG) in Copenhagen in October, where also one of the recent Australian Noble prize winners, Professor Barry J. Marshall was present. Together with Dr. J. Robin Warren, they received the Nobel prize in Medicine 2005 for having discovered Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. (see also Biohit Diagnostics News 18)
Expert Input Forum presented cost-efficient models for screening of dyspeptic patients
In the Expert Input Forum on GastroPanel, a seminar arranged by Biohit in conjunction with UEGW, 28 gastroenterologists and other experts from Europe and the USA gathered to hear and discuss about GastroPanel and how to incorporate the test into clinical practice in primary and secondary care. GastroPanel was unanimously accepted as a great screening tool for dyspeptic patients, as it non-invasively finds atrophic gastritis caused by H. pylori and related risks, as well as healthy stomachs.
The participants agreed that GastroPanel should be used as a yearly check-up tool, like cholesterol tests, for people over 55 years of age. Also populations at risk of gastric cancer, peptic ulcer disease and vitamin B12 deficiency would benefit from the results of GastroPanel. In addition, GastroPanel could be a follow-up tool for patients taking PPI medication.
Professor Peter Malfertheiner acted as chairman and Professors Pentti Sipponen and Fransisco Di Mario as lecturers. Professor Pentti Sipponen presented the non-endoscopic diagnosis of atrophic gastritis with blood based GastroPanel test in correlation to gastric histology in a Finnish multicentre study. Professor Di Mario presented the Parma model and how GastroPanel has been implemented in the clinical practice in Parma, Italy. The Parma model indicates that 30 % of all gastroscopic resources could be saved in favor for other types of endoscopy. The seminar delegates also discussed about the latest scientific data of the GastroPanel examination and how to explore new research areas and potential indications for GastroPanel.
To download the presentations, right-click on the link below:
- Lecture of Prof. Pentti Sipponen "UEGW2005" (pdf, 0.7Mb)
- Lecture of Prof. Francesco Di Mario "GastroPanel 1 Parma Model 05" (pdf, 2.0 Mb)
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17.10.2005
GastroPanel for the development of safe diagnosis and treatment practice for dyspepsia, Helicobacter pylori infection, atrophic gastritis, and related risks
Already in the beginning of the 1980s, the Australian doctors Barry J, Marshall and J. Robin Warren made the remarkable discovery that inflammation in the stomach (gastritis) as well as ulceration of stomach or duodenum (peptic ulcer disease) are the result of Helicobacter pylori infection in the stomach. Now, over two decades later, they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2005.
Biohit warmly congratulates the two scientists, whose work has provided a breakthrough in medicine and paved the way for Biohit’s GastroPanel-innovation.
GastroPanel takes a step further
Biohit has taken the idea of Marshall & Warren a step further. The unique, non-invasive GastroPanel examination diagnoses not only H. pylori infection, but also atrophic gastritis, its location and severity as well as related risks (gastric cancer, vitamin B12 deficiency and peptic ulcer disease). GastroPanel also reveals the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
The GastroPanel examination measures four biomarkers in blood: pepsinogen I and II, gastrin-17 and H. pylori antibodies. The GastroPanel examination and the GastroSoft software interpreting its results have been developed for use as a primary and follow-up examination in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with dyspepsia, H. pylori infection, atrophic gastritis and related risks.
If the GastroPanel examination gives a normal result, the diagnosis is either functional dyspepsia or another disease not involving the gastric mucosa. The examination diagnoses H. pylori infection, atrophic gastritis and its location (corpus, antrum or both). In addition to these diagnoses, GastroSoft software also alerts to the risks associated with atrophic gastritis of the corpus of the stomach (gastric cancer and vitamin B12 deficiency) and to the risks associated with atrophic gastritis of the antrum (gastric cancer and peptic ulcer disease). The GastroSoft report also indicates the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease. If necessary, the report recommends further examinations, such as gastroscopy and biopsy specimen examination as well as vitamin B12 and homocysteine determinations.
Until now, before GastroPanel was invented, H. pylori -related atrophic gastritis and the associated risks could only be detected with gastroscopy and biopsy specimen examination. The current “test and treat” method is unable to detect them. This serious medical and ethical problem can be corrected simply and economically by including the GastroPanel examination as the test used in the “test and treat” strategy.
The GastroPanel invention will allow practical medicine to benefit from the discovery of H. pylori even more than before. When combined, the two discoveries promote the development of safe and ethical evidence-based therapy, particularly in outpatient care and possibly also in screening examinations.
Read more about GastroPanel from here
You can also test GastroSoft here (enable macros).
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31.1.2005
BIOHIT Helicobacter pylori IgG ELISA kit FDA cleared for Marketing & Distribution
Biohit Plc has received on 13.12.2004 FDA clearance for the Company ‘s Helicobacter pylori IgG ELISA kit. Test is based on an enzyme immunoassay technique with partially purified H. pylori bacterial antigen adsorbed on a microplate and a detection antibody labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP).
Helicobacter pylori infection is the most important cause of chronic gastritis. Another mechanism for gastritis and severe atrophic gastritis is the autoimmune mechanism. This kit is intended to aid in the diagnosis of H. pylori infection.
Helicobacter pylori is a spiral shaped, gram-negative bacterium that colonizes in the human stomach. The organism is found in the mucous layer of the stomach overlying the gastric epithelium and it does not appear to invade tissue. However, the mucosa underneath the area of the H. pylori colonization is invariably inflamed; this condition is referred to as chronic superficial or non-atrophic gastritis, which, if untreated persists for life. Nevertheless, the chronic inflammatory process can lead to atrophic gastritis, which has been linked with peptic ulceration and gastric cancer, two of the most important diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The presence of antibodies to CagA H. pylori strains have been linked with the development of atrophic gastritis in corpus.
The epidemiological evidence indicates a link between gastric adenocarcinoma, mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and H. pylori infection.
