Campylobacter pylori colonization of the antrum mucosa in patients with chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer

: Campylobacter pylori, a bacterium specifically adapted to the environment of gastric mucous is closely associated with peptic gastric diseases. It is detected within the mucus and in relationship to the intercellular spaces in cases of active chronic gastritis. Approximately 70% of patients with chronic type-B-gastritis are infected with C. pylori. In type A or reflux gastritis C. pylori is hardly seen. A causal relationship seems likely. More than 80% of patients with duodenal ulcer and round half of the cases with gastric ulcer show C. pylori in the gastric mucosa. The pathomechanism, how C. pylori facilitates the development of peptic ulcer is since hypothetical. It is discussed that the bacterium leads to a local breakdown of gastric mucosal defence.