Gastrospirillum Hominis associated chronic active gastritis: the first report from Italy

Recently a spiral bacterium different from Helicobacter Pylori (HP) was observed in the human stomach and the name of Gastrospirillum Hominis (GH) was proposed for this organism. GH presence is reported to be not associated to HP but related to chronic active gastritis. We describe the case of a 31 year old male suffering from upper abdominal symptoms, who underwent oesophagogastroduodenoscopy, which revealed a picture of duodenal hyperemia. Gastric body showed a normal mucosa and absence of HP, while active chronic gastritis associated with HP was found in the antrum. In addition few spiral bacteria showing 4-5 spirals, larger than HP were observed within the gastric crypts and beneath the mucus layer in this site. This case represents the first report from our geographic area (Southern Italy) of the possibility of finding bacteria different from HP in the human stomach. The simultaneous HP presence does not allow us to relate the chronic active gastritis of the patient with the GH like bacteria. Our finding, however, suggests the possibility that HP and GH may be simultaneously present in the course of type B antral chronic inflammation. This association was not observed in previous investigations.