The Role of Helicobacter Pylori in the Etiopathogeny of Gastric Neoplasia

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori, a spiral bacterium of the stomach, infects more than half of the world's population. H. pylori is restricted to human gastric mucosa and can infect some other primates. H. pylori strains are genetically heterogeneous, and this attribute is useful in studies of transmission. H. pylori can be cultured, is sensitive to most antibiotics in vitro, and is characterized by very strong urease activity. It is now widely accepted that, aside from gastritis and ulcers, H. pylori is also a causative agent of gastric lymphoma, specifically gastric B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). While antibiotic treatment eradicates the bacteria and promotes tumor regression, the effects of re-infection on the disease are more severe. H. pylori can be detected in gastric biopsy specimens and indirectly by serology and analysis of breath after ingestion of labeled urea.