Advances and prospects in the study of Helicobacter pylori infection

The discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is a great event in medicine and microbiology. This is one of the infectious agents, which causes the most common human digestive diseases: chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer disease. Succeeding years showed that this infection was also a cause of gastric cancer and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. The prevalence of Hp infection depends on a social factor. The virulence factors of Hp, which are responsible for chemotaxis and its sequels, have been identified. Of the existing diagnostic techniques, preference is given to noninvasive methods, the urease respiration test in particular. Chronic gastric inflammation is noted to be of importance in the occurrence of ulcer disease. New information also concerns some "usefulness" of Hp infection in childhood; in this connection, caution must be exercised in the recommendations for universal prophylactic eradication therapy. Attention is drawn to the emergence of resistant Hp strains after eradication and to the overcoming of antibiotic resistance in Hp. Whether mass screening is made to clarify the prevalence of Hp infection in Russia is discussed. Important information is given on the existence of noninvasive Hp diagnostic techniques based on the evaluation of the urease activity of the bacteria, which is not practically used in the Russian health care system. Introduction of this diagnostic technique for Hp infection may solve the problem of health improvement in the Russian Federation's population.