Said ZNA, Alkhawagah SM. Beyond fecal-oral routes - Candida as a reservoir for vertical transmission of Helicobacter pylori: Insights from a murine model. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(24): 118637 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i24.118637]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Zeinab Nabil Ahmed Said, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo 11754, Egypt. zeinabnabil@azhar.edu.eg
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
editorial
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Said ZNA, Alkhawagah SM. Beyond fecal-oral routes - Candida as a reservoir for vertical transmission of Helicobacter pylori: Insights from a murine model. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(24): 118637 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i24.118637]
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 28, 2026; 32(24): 118637 Published online Jun 28, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i24.118637
Beyond fecal-oral routes - Candida as a reservoir for vertical transmission of Helicobacter pylori: Insights from a murine model
Zeinab Nabil Ahmed Said, Sabah Mohamed Alkhawagah
Zeinab Nabil Ahmed Said, Sabah Mohamed Alkhawagah, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11754, Egypt
Author contributions: Said ZNA and Alkhawagah SM contributed equally to this work. Both authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Zeinab Nabil Ahmed Said, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo 11754, Egypt. zeinabnabil@azhar.edu.eg
Received: January 8, 2026 Revised: February 2, 2026 Accepted: March 3, 2026 Published online: June 28, 2026 Processing time: 151 Days and 21.8 Hours
Abstract
In this editorial, we comment on the article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology by Xu et al. This article experimentally investigated the route of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) transmission of Candida harboring H. pylori from mothers to offspring using murine vaginal and gastric infection models. The study showed serological evidence of H. pylori infection and molecular detection of H. pylori genes in multiple tissues in the infected maternal mice, accompanied by marked gastric inflammation, indicating the release of viable, pathogenic H. pylori from Candida. In addition, it also reported that the offspring mice exhibited H. pylori-specific antibodies and molecular evidence of infection, regardless of the delivery mode, strongly supporting maternal–neonatal transmission. The authors concluded that H. pylori infection in newborns may be acquired through vertical transmission during childbirth, possibly originating from maternal Candida that has been internalized by H. pylori. This editorial focuses specifically on the possibility that H. pylori can reside within the cells of Candida yeasts that colonize the maternal vagina, addressing the risk of its transmission to offspring. A comprehensive understanding of the transmission routes of H. pylori will help guide the implementation of effective infection prevention and control measures.
Core Tip: This editorial comments on the article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology by Xu et al. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) represents a significant global pathogen with poorly understood transmission dynamics. The editorial highlights the novel hypothesis of Candida-mediated vertical transmission of H. pylori in a murine model. This model challenges traditional H. pylori transmission routes, urging clinical validation in human cohorts. A comprehensive understanding of the transmission routes of H. pylori will help pave the way for implementing effective infection prevention and control measures.
