Helicobacter pylori is a bacteria known to cause most ulcers of the stomach. In some cases these ulcers can eventually lead to stomach cancer. Until now, it was unclear as to why this change occurs, but scientists have a new hypothesis. Researchers now report that certain strains of H. pylori can induce surrounding stomach cells to lower their immune defenses, essentially allowing inflammation to occur. This environment of persistent inflammation can then reduce the threshold required for more serious diseases, like cancer, to develop. However, is H. pylori necessarily a “bad” bacterium? Some scientists believe that H. pylori actually helps to regulate acidity in our stomach. Furthermore, some studies show that eradicating H. pylori with antibiotics actually raises the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease, heartburn, and even asthma. Full story.
Tags: Cancer, h. pylori, helicobacter, inflammation, stomach
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.