Once thought to be a consequence of unhealthy diet and lifestyle choices, chronic active gastritis and the formation of ulcers is now attributed to infection by a spiral shaped organism named Helicobacter pylori which colonizes the non-acid secreting mucosa of the stomach. Discovered in the laboratories of Barry Marshall and Robin Warren in Perth, Western Australia, this discovery in 1983 changed the course of gastroenterology forever. Originally named Campylobacter pyloridis, (a name resulting from its structural similarity to other Campylobacter species). H. pylori was given its present name in 1989 . This name more closely approximated its enzymatic and functional properties. H. pylori is a spiral shaped bacteria, with smooth surfaces, measuring .5 x 3 micrometers. Four to six polar sheathed flagella extend from one of its rounded ends to aid in motility.
H. pylori is now considered to be one of the most common bacterial causes of infection, affecting approximately 20% of people under the age of forty and 50% of people over the age of fifty. Infection by H. pylori has been linked not only to gastritis but to gastric cancer and lymphomas of the stomach as well.
Probably the most distinguishing characteristic of this bacteria is its production urease, an enzyme it uses to neutralize the highly acidic environment of the stomach. The production of this enzyme, along with allowing H. pylori to colonize the mucosal surfaces of the gastric epithelium, has proved powerful in the diagnosis of infection by this bacteria.
Treatment plans for infection by H.pylori are yet to be set in stone, as many doctors are attempting the use of numerous antibiotic therapies. No cure has yet been proven to be 100% effective.
Diagnosis / Symptoms of Infection
Picture book and Valuable Links
Salyers, Abigail and Dixie D. Whitt. Bacterial Pathogenesis: A Molecular Approach. 1994. Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois. pg 273-280.
Online. Internet . 19 February 1999. Available URL : http://www.bact.wisc.edu/Bact330/lecturehelico2
Online. Internet. 17 February 1999. Available URL : http://www.ginet.com/infogate/helicobacter.htm
Online. Internet. 17 February 1999. Available URL : http://www. helico.com
Online. Internet. 17 February 1999. Available URL : http://www.nih.gov/
Online. Internet. 22 February 1999. Available URL : http://www.cdc.gov/