Infectious Diseases and Microbiology - ​Peptic Ulcer Disease ( Helicobacter pylori)

Infectious Diseases and Microbiology - ​Peptic Ulcer Disease ( Helicobacter pylori) 

 Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative, spiral-shaped, motile rod.

Transmission is probably person to person but is unclear. Reservoirs for animals do not exist.

Gastritis, duodenal and stomach ulcers, and gastric cancer are examples of clinical manifestations.

Urease, mucinase, polar flagella, adhesion factors, endotoxin, and a vacuolating cytotoxin are some of the virulence factors that H pylori possesses. Ammonia produced by the urease causes the stomach's milieu to become alkaline. H pylori may migrate through the thick layer of mucus that covers the stomach epithelial cells thanks to the enzyme mucinase and the flagella. Mucin-producing cells are destroyed in part by the vacuolating cytotoxin. Ulcerations occur when the host inflammatory response combines with reduced mucus production.

There are both noninvasive and invasive diagnostic methods accessible. By far the most common invasive technique is gastric biopsy. Serologic testing for the detection of H pylori antibodies and the urea breath test, which is helpful in monitoring the efficacy of treatment, are examples of noninvasive techniques.

Combination therapy with antibiotics including amoxicillin, tetracycline, and metronidazole along with proton pump inhibitors and bismuth is used to treat stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori.