Helicobacter pylori and gastric malignancies.

Clinical outcomes of Helicobacter pylori infection are diverse and caused by the variability of H. pylori virulence factors, host susceptibility, environmental factors and their interactions. Prospective epidemiological studies have clearly shown the relationship between H. pylori infection and gastric cancer. In addition, studies in animal models such as Mongolian gerbils with or without the addition of low-dose chemical carcinogens demonstrated that H. pylori infection can develop gastric carcinoma. Experimental studies have shown that virulence factors of H. pylori interact with gastric epithelial cell signaling related to carcinogenesis. While the effect of H. pylori eradication on prevention of such tumors in chronic H. pylori carriers is still controversial, progress has been made in therapy especially of gastric lymphoma with well tolerated chemotherapeutic regimen.