What role does H. pylori play in ulcer disease?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Helicobacter pylori is a microorganism whose only natural host is the human.
• It is found primarily on the surface of the antrum of the stomach.
• This microorganism has been established to be the most common cause of gastritis and it is estimated that 92% of duodenal ulcers and 70% of gastric ulcers are caused by H pylori.
• By-products produced by the organism result in damage to the epithelium and impair the mucus barrier within the stomach.
• Helicobacter pylori, a spiral-shaped, flagellated, gram-negative rod, lives on the gastric mucosa under the mucous layer of the stomach and attaches to mucus-secreting cells that line the stomach. These organisms break down urea to produce ammonia, which helps to neutralize acid in the immediate vicinity of these bacteria and enhance their survival.
• H. pylori organisms subsequently produce various proteins that damage mucosal cells. This damage attracts lymphocytes and causes persistent inflammation.
• H. pylori can be identified in almost all patients with duodenal ulcers and in approximately 80% of patients with gastric ulcer in the absence of other precipitating factors such as NSAID use or hypersecretory conditions (e.g., Zollinger-Ellison syndrome).