Helicobacter pylori: its discovery and relevance for medicine

In 1979, Warren was first to observe these bacteria in an inflamed gastric epithelium, and subsequently in peptic ulcer-associated gastritis. In 1981, Marshall starts his research and cultivates the bacteria, performs prospective studies, and administers therapy regimens using antibiotics and bismuth salts. The organism was designated Campylobacter-like after its similarity with said genus. In 1984, Marshall manages to meet Koch s postulates using self-inoculation by ingesting a bacterial culture, which resulted in gastritis that was then treated and cured with bismuth salts and metronidazole. The Gastroenterological Society of Australia rejected the abstract with preliminary data. In 1983, "The Lancet" published such data in two brief letters with the same heading, with each being signed by one of these two researchers. Cooperating with microbiologists they classify the new bacteria within the Helicobacter genus as the pylori species. Gastritis and peptic ulcer are currently considered infectious diseases. Their diagnosis and therapy include bacterial detection methods and antibiotics, respectively. In addition, a causal relationship between Helicobacter pylori and both gastric adenocarcinoma and gastric lymphoma has been established, and its association with some extra-digestive conditions has been suggested.