title: Detection and effects of helicobacters in healthy dogs and dogs with signs of gastritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine prevalence, colonization density, and distribution of helicobacters and gastric histologic findings in healthy dogs and dogs with signs of gastritis; to evaluate association of colonization density and gastric inflammation; and to compare the number of Helicobacter spp with degree of inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional prevalence survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  25 healthy dogs and 21 dogs with signs of gastritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  During endoscopy, gastric mucosal biopsy specimens were obtained from healthy and affected client-owned dogs. Histologic and cytologic evaluation and results of a urease test were used for detecting helicobacters, which were identified definitively by use of transmission electron microscopy and bacterial culture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Helicobacters were detected in all 25 healthy and 20 of 21 affected dogs. Cytologic examination was a more sensitive method than histologic examination or the urease test. Helicobacters were found least frequently and in fewest number in the antrum in both groups of dogs. Gastric inflammation was evident in both groups of dogs and did not differ significantly between groups. A significant association was not detected between colonization density or the number of Helicobacter spp and degree of gastric inflammation. In both groups, H bizzozeronii, H felis, and H salomonis were cultured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Histologically verified chronic gastritis is common in dogs with signs of gastritis as well as in healthy dogs. Colonization density of helicobacters was not associated with degree of gastric inflammation in the dogs of our study. It remains to be determined whether certain strains of Helicobacter spp can induce gastritis in dogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Happonen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Linden
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karjalainen
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hänninen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jalava
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Westermarck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000662:veterinary; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005756:Gastritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016998:Helicobacter / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence