What is Helicobacter pylori?

Helicobacter pylori ia a spiral gram-negative bacterium which was primarily detected half a century ago at the stomach mucous but it became interested to physicians only at the beginning of 1980-th when the method of its cultivation was developed.

In 1983 australian doctor Barry Marshall detected that H. pylori is always presents at the stomach of patients suffering with chronical gastritis or ulcers. Bacterium itself does not cause ulcer of stomach or duodenum but it provokes inflammation processes at the stomach, stimulates hydrochloric acid hypersecretion and depresses the mucous natural shielding against the acid. If the conducted therapy only decreases stomach acidity and does not eradicate bacteria then the ulcer can be temporary healed but soon after the therapy it arises again. Prolonged investigations showed that if the bacterium wasn't eradicated the ulcer recurrence probability (in 2 year) equals to 100 %, otherwise it's no more than 5-10 % and as a rule is caused by H.pylori re-infection.

H. pylori infection source. The main sources of H.pylori bacterium are infected persons (saliva, phlegm) but one can also be infected through contaminated water and food. There are data reffering to H.pylori infection through gastroscopes and stomach probes. Investigations made by US physicians showed that H.pylori can be considered as the family infection, so if someone in the familly is infected the probability of family other members infection is about 95%.