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Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic spiral bacterium which is recognized as the primary cause of chronic gastritis in humans. Untreated H. pylori infection precedes and is required for the development of most cases of gastric and duodenal ulcers (1, 2). Further, H. pylori infection substantially increases the risk of development of gastric cancer in some populations. Following the discovery and identification of H. pylori as a significant human pathogen, it is now recognized as probably the most common bacterial infection of humankind, infecting approximately 50% of the world's population. Specific antibiotics combined with proton pump inhibitors are now routinely used to treat and eliminate previously chronic gastroduodenal diseases. For their novel work in helping us to understand the critical role played by H. pylori in peptic ulcer disease, Robin Warren and Barry Marshall were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2005. |
