15/06/2025
đź”´ HELICOBACTER PYLORI đź”´
“Helicobacter pylori: The Stomach Invader We Can’t Ignore”
🔎 Did you know that a small spiral-shaped bacterium could change everything we thought we knew about stomach diseases?
✔️ Meet Helicobacter pylori —
• A gram-negative, spiral-shaped, microaerophilic bacterium.
• It colonizes the stomach mucosa, surviving even in highly acidic conditions by producing urease, which neutralizes gastric acid.
• Linked to chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and even gastric cancer.
♦️Why is it important?
• It is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen.
• Eradicating H. pylori infection reduces the risk of peptic ulcers and gastric malignancies.
🔬 How do we diagnose Helicobacter pylori in the laboratory?
1. Non-Invasive Tests:
• Urea Breath Test (UBT): Gold standard. Patient ingests urea labeled with carbon isotope; if H. pylori is present, urease breaks down urea releasing labeled CO₂.
• Stool Antigen Test: Detects H. pylori antigens in f***s.
• Serology: Antibody detection (less preferred now).
2. Invasive Tests (after endoscopy):
• Rapid Urease Test (RUT): Biopsy specimen placed in urea-containing medium; color change indicates urease activity.
• Histology: Direct microscopic examination of biopsy tissue stained with special stains like Giemsa.
• Culture: Difficult but definitive; requires special microaerophilic conditions.
• Molecular Methods: PCR for detecting bacterial DNA directly.
Microscopy Appearance:
• Spiral-shaped or curved bacilli, often seen attached to the gastric mucosa.
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