Helicobacter pylori and Other Gastrointestinal Diseases

ABSTRACT

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most prevalent bacterial pathogen that infects approximately half of the world’s population. It is well known that H. pylori causes chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. H. pylori can also be associated with other gastrointestinal diseases. Epidemiologic studies have reported an inverse correlation between H. pylori infection and gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, the results of H. pylori eradication in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease were not consistent with epidemiologic studies. Many studies have reported symptomatic improvement in uninvestigated dyspepsia and functional dyspepsia (FD) following H. pylori eradication, suggesting that H. pylori is the cause of dyspepsia. Therefore, it has been suggested that H. pylori-associated dyspepsia should be considered an entity distinct from FD and only the patients with persistent symptoms following eradication should be considered as having FD. A majority of studies also support an association of H. pylori with colon neoplasms and an inverse correlation with inflammatory bowel disease. However, no association of H. pylori with irritable bowel syndrome has been reported.