Whats New @ Medscape:
What does the latest research tell us about the connection between H. pylori disease and the potential to develop HCV-related chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma?
This new study looks at the possible link.
What is Helicobacter pylori?
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium that causes chronic inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach (gastritis) in humans.
This bacterium also is considered as a common cause of ulcers worldwide; as many as 90% of people with ulcers have detectable organisms.
H. pylori infection is most likely acquired by ingesting contaminated food and water, and through person to person contact.
In the United States, about 30% of the adult population is infected (50% of infected persons are infected by the age of 60), but the prevalence of infection is decreasing because there is increasing awareness about the infection, and treatment is common...
Read more @ MedicineNet.com
July 6, 2012
Role of Helicobacter pylori in Patients With HCV-related Chronic Hepatitis and Cirrhosis With or Without Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Possible Association With Disease Progression
G. Esmat; M. El-Bendary; S. Zakarya; M. A. Ela; K. Zalata
Posted: 07/06/2012; J Viral Hepat. 2012;19(7):473-479. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing
H. Pylori in HCV-related Chronic Hepatitis and Cirrhosis
Journal of Viral Hepatitis, July 6, 2012
Introduction Only
View complete article
@ Medscape
Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C Virus (HCV) worldwide. Prevalence of HCV was 13.9% among healthy populations and 78.5% among hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases. Over 50% of the subjects infected with HCV will suffer from chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis or even develop HCC.
[1]
Nine infectious agents recognized as human carcinogens are responsible for 17% of cancer cases worldwide.
[2] In 1994,
Helicobacter pylori infection was classified as a type 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
[3]
In the past few years, several studies have observed that
H. pylori was associated with the pathogenesis of human enterohepatic diseases,
[4] while other studies reported the prevalence of
Helicobacter infection in patients with HCV-related chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and HCC.
[5–8]
The discovery of the presence of
Helicobacter species DNA in liver material from patients with liver disease has led to the challenging hypothesis that these bacteria may play a role in the evolution of hepatic diseases from chronic viral hepatitis to cirrhosis and HCC. Determinants of this evolution are not yet fully understood, including those occurring in HCV-positive patients.
[5]
The majority of HCC patients carry HCV. This virus does not integrate into host DNA, and it is likely that the mechanism of carcinogenesis differs from that of HBV. Therefore, the need to clarify the pathogenic mechanism by which HCV may lead to liver cancer has become of prime importance because the currently known risk factors cannot explain all aspects of its progression to HCC; other causal mechanisms should be explored. Whether
Helicobacter species could act as a cofactor in the progression towards cirrhosis and carcinogenesis in humans with viral hepatitis is still under review.
[9]
As
Helicobacter hepaticus has been shown to cause both chronic hepatitis and HCC in mice, it is suggested that differences in the progression of chronic hepatitis C may be due to a cofactor stemming from co-infection by bacteria especially
H. Pylori and other
Helicobacter species.
[10]
.
Certain strains of
H. pylori may be more virulent and associated with disease severity. Cag A, a high (120–140 kDa) molecular weight immunodominant protein encoded by the Cag A gene, is part of the Cag pathogenicity island (PAI). Strains with more Cag A tyrosine phosphorylation motifs are most closely associated with gastric cancer.
[9,11,12] The detection of a putative virulence marker of
H. pylori such as Cag A gene can be considered as a possible risk factor for cirrhosis and HCC.
[13]
Our aim was to assess the potential cofactor role of infection with
H. pylori in the progression of HCV-related chronic liver disease and in HCC.
H. Pylori and Peptic Ulcer Symptoms & Testing Candidates
Published on
May 23, 2012 by
Best Doctors
H. Pylori and peptic ulcers are common in our country and are even more common in underdeveloped countries. Dr. Falchuk explains how standard testing can help determine if you are suffering from gastritis, peptic ulcers, infection or H. Pylori.
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