title: Why do we still have Helicobacter Pylori in our Stomachs.
abstract: The existence of any infectious agent in a highly acidic human stomach is contentious, but the chance finding ofHelicobacter pyloriis by no means an accident. OnceH. pyloricolonises the gastric mucosa, it can persist for a lifetime, and it is intriguing why our immune system is able to tolerate its existence. Some conditions favour the persistence ofH. pyloriin the stomach, but other conditions oppose the colonisation of this bacterium. Populations with high and extremely low prevalence ofH. pyloriprovide useful insights on the clinical outcomes that are associated with this type of infection. Adverse clinical outcomes including peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer depend on a delicate balance between a harmless inflammation and a more severe kind of inflammation. Is the only goodH. pylorireally a deadH. pylori? The jury is still out.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, PO Box 14115-111, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Amin Talebi Bezmin
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Abadi
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ierardi
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Yeong Yeh
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Helicobacter pylori; elimination; gastric cancer; peptic ulcer disease; stomach; survival