Extragastric Manifestations of Helicobacter pylori Infection: Other Helicobacters

Abstract

The finding that Helicobacter pylori is the main cause of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease has opened a new era in the gastrointestinal world. Today there is evidence that H. pylori may also play a role in different nongastric diseases, opening the new "extragastric manifestations of H. pylori infection" field. Concerning this, several studies have been published in the last year. The most convincing data arise from those investigating idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and sideropenic anemia, while there is also an increasing evidence for a possible association with atherosclerotic disease. Furthermore, the discovery of a number of other novel Helicobacter species has stimulated the research in different extragastric diseases, in which an infectious hypothesis is plausible. In particular, several species have been studied for a potential role in different liver and intestinal diseases with interesting findings.

Helicobacter pylori and Hematologic Diseases

“…After 6-8 weeks of treatment, the infection eradication must be confirmed using a non-invasive test, ideally with 13 C-urea breath test [27]. If eradication is not achieved, it is mandatory to establish a new therapy scheme until eradication is achieved.…”

“…(5) If the patient is positive for H. pylori, proceed with eradication of the infection [27]. (6) Confirm infection eradication 6-8 weeks after the treatment using a non-invasive test, ideally with the 13 C-urea breath test [27]. (7) If eradication is not achieved, establish a new scheme of eradication therapy until it is achieved.…”

“…Generally, the prevalence is low in developed countries; in these cases should proceed with conventional management of vitamin B 12 deficiency [134]. In developing countries, the rate of H. pylori infection is high; these cases or when the patient, despite living in a country where infection rates are low, comes from a country where the infection rates are high, it should proceed to determine the status of H. pylori through a non-invasive test, ideally the 13 C-urea breath test [27]. If the patient is negative for H. pylori, it is necessary to investigate other causes of the vitamin B 12 deficiency and treat the patient conventionally [134], whereas if the patient is positive for H. pylori, it is indispensable to eradicate the infection [27].…”

“…Since the discovery in 1983 that the stomach could be colonized by bacteria [3], sufficient evidence has accumulated implicating H. pylori as a pathogen intimately related to benign stomach diseases, such us chronic gastritis and duodenal and gastric peptic ulcers [3], and malignant diseases, for example gastric cancer [4] and gastric MALT lymphoma [5]. Furthermore, during the last three decades following the discovery [3], approximately 50 extragastric diseases have been reported in medical specialties such as cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, obstetrics and gynecology, pneumology, neurology, odontology, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, and hematology [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20], the last of which is the subject of this review.…”

New perspective of the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection

“…Odkrycie przez Marshalla i Warrena spiralnych bakterii Helicobacter pylori w żołądku człowieka z przewlekłym zapaleniem śluzówki i chorobą wrzodową przyczyniło się do rozwoju badań nad etiopatogenezą chorób przewodu pokarmowego [1] i do odkrycia nowych gatunków Helicobacter u ludzi i zwierząt, które zasiedlają nie tylko żołą-dek, lecz także błonę śluzową jelita oraz drogi żółciowe [2,3]. Badany jest związek tych szczepów z chorobami wątroby, stwardniającym zapaleniem dróg żółciowych, pierwotną żółciową marskością wątroby, a nawet z kamicą żółciową i innymi chorobami.…”