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Helicobacter pylori : resurrection of the cancer link
Author(s) -
Björkholm B.,
Falk P.,
Engstrand L.,
Nyrén O.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.625
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1365-2796
pISSN - 0954-6820
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2003.01119.x
Subject(s) - helicobacter pylori , disease , medicine , virulence , cancer , virulence factor , risk factor , stomach cancer , stomach , population , spirillaceae , immunology , adenocarcinoma , gastritis , gastroenterology , gene , biology , genetics , environmental health
. Björkholm B, Falk P, Engstrand L, Nyrén O (Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Solna; AstraZeneca R & D, Mölndal; Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden). Helicobacter pylori : resurrection of the cancer link (Review). J Intern Med 2003; 253 : 102–119. Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common pathogenic bacterial infections, colonizing an estimated half of all humans. In a subset of individuals, the infection leads to serious gastroduodenal disease such as peptic ulcers and gastric adenocarcinoma. The factors contributing to skewing this, in most cases benign, relationship into disease development are largely unknown. However, factors emanating from the bacterium, host and the environment have been shown to affect the risk for disease, although no factor can be singled out to be most important. The known factors are associated with affecting the risk of disease, and are not absolute. Virulence of H. pylori is affected by the existence and regulation of certain genes present in the bacterial population in a stomach. The effects of H. pylori on gastric cancer development have been challenged and the risk associated with infection with virulent (i.e. Cag PAI positive) H. pylori has likely been underestimated.