Related Experiment Videos
Helicobacter DNA in bile: correlation with hepato-biliary diseases
C A Fallone1, S Tran, M Semret
1Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, West Montreal, Quebec, Canada. cfallone@lan1.molonc.mcgill.ca
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
|February 4, 2003
Summary
Helicobacter pylori was not found in bile samples from patients with gallstones or liver cancer. Further research is needed for primary sclerosing cholangitis due to a small sample size.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Hepatology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Helicobacter species have been anecdotally linked to hepato-biliary diseases, but their pathogenic role is not well-established.
- The presence and significance of Helicobacter in the biliary tract remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the detectability of Helicobacter in bile samples.
- To determine the prevalence of Helicobacter infection in patients with various hepato-biliary conditions.
Main Methods:
- Bile samples were collected from 125 patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for conditions including biliary stones, pancreatico-biliary malignancies, and primary sclerosing cholangitis.
- Helicobacter DNA was detected using genus-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers.
Main Results:
- Helicobacter was successfully detected in positive controls, validating the PCR method.
- Three samples contained PCR inhibitors, and the remaining 122 samples from patients with hepato-biliary diseases were negative for Helicobacter DNA.
Conclusions:
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a viable method for detecting Helicobacter in bile.
- The study found no evidence of Helicobacter infection in patients with gallstones or hepato-biliary malignancies.
- Further investigation is warranted for primary sclerosing cholangitis due to limited patient numbers.