Campylobacter pylori as a pathogenetic factor in duodenal ulcer: the case for

This debate addresses whether Campylobacter pylori contributes to the development and maintenance of chronic peptic ulcer disease. C. pylori may be both an aggressive factor and may also impair mucosal defence. C. pylori causes the inevitably ulcer-associated gastritis and duodenitis and eradication of the C. pylori infection is associated with resolution of the inflammation and virtual elimination of the problem of duodenal ulcer relapse. A model is suggested that requires two separate factors to combine to cause chronic duodenal ulcer disease with other environmental factors (e.g. smoking) modifying the interaction between C. pylori and genetic susceptibility. Both genetic susceptibility and C. pylori infection are required to produce duodenal ulcer disease; neither alone is sufficient. C. pylori is the most important factor in the pathogenesis of duodenal ulcer disease because it is the only pathogenetic factor that can be easily reversed by medical therapy.