Editorial
Copyright ©2006 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 21, 2006; 12(35): 5599-5605
Published online Sep 21, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i35.5599
H pylori and host interactions that influence pathogenesis
Ellen J Beswick, Giovanni Suarez, Victor E Reyes
Ellen J Beswick, Giovanni Suarez, Victor E Reyes, Departments of Pediatrics, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Institutes of Health Grants DK50669 and DK56338. EB was a recipient of a fellowship under National Institutes of Health T32 AI007536-06 Training Grant. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be marked advertisement in accordance with 18 U.S.C. section 1734 solely to indicate this fact
Correspondence to: Dr. Victor E Reyes, Children’s Hospital, Room 2.300, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd. Galveston, TX 77555, United States. vreyes@utmb.edu
Telephone: +1-409-7723824 Fax: +1-409-7721761
Received: July 1, 2006
Revised: July 10, 2006
Accepted: July 18, 2006
Published online: September 21, 2006
Abstract

H pylori is probably the most prevalent human pathogen worldwide. Since it was initially suggested in 1983 by Marshall and Warren to be implicated in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease, H pylori has also been implicated in gastric carcinoma and was classified as a class I carcinogen. In the last two decades, a noteworthy body of research has revealed the multiple processes that this gram negative bacterium activates to cause gastroduodenal disease in humans. Most infections are acquired early in life and may persist for the life of the individual. While infected individuals mount an inflammatory response that becomes chronic, along with a detectable adaptive immune response, these responses are ineffective in clearing the infection. H pylori has unique features that allow it to reside within the harsh conditions of the gastric environment, and also to evade the host immune response. In this review, we discuss the various virulence factors expressed by this bacterium and how they interact with the host epithelium to influence pathogenesis.

Keywords: H pylori; Gastric cancer; Immune response; Vacuolating cytotoxin