CULTURE HELICOBACTER PYLORI

HELICOBACTER PYLORI COLONIZES THE STOMACH IN APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE POPULATION, ESSENTIALLY FOR LIFE UNLESS ERADICATED BY ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT. H. PYLORI IS USUALLY ACQUIRED IN CHILDHOOD. TRANSMISSION CAN OCCUR BY IATROGENIC, FECAL-ORAL AND ORAL-ORAL ROUTES. THIS GRAM NEGATIVE BACILLUS IS THE MAIN RISK FACTOR FOR PEPTI ULCERS, ATROPHIC GASTRITIS, GASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA & GASTRIC MUCOSA ASSOCIATED LYMPHOID TISSUE LYMPHOMA (MALT). ESSENTIALLY ALL H. PYLORI COLONIZED PERSONS HAVE HISTOLOGIC GASTRITIS BUT ONLY 10-15% DEVELOP ASSOCIATED ILLNESSES. DESPITE SIMILAR RATES OF H. PYLORI COLONIZATION IN BOTH GENDERS, RATES OF THESE DISEASES AMONG WOMEN ARE LESS THAN HALF OF THOSE IN MEN.