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H. pylori is a human pathogen that colonizes the epithelium of the stomach. The host immune response may influence the disease process, where cytokines play important roles in the development of disease. In this study, the concentrations of selected cytokines in the gastric antrum and stomach body mucosa and also in the serum were evaluated. Eighty patients according to their rapid urease test were divided into two groups: H. pylori positive (n=39) and H. pylori-negative (n=41). The concentrations of cytokines in biopsies and serum were determined by ELISA method. The mean TNF-α and IFN-γ levels in the infected group were significantly higher than that of uninfected patients. In contrast, IL-10 level in most patients was undetectable. The mean antral of stomach TNF-α and IFN-γ levels were significantly higher than that of the stomach body. IFN-γ serum level showed positive correlation with antrum and stomach body levels, whereas no correlation was found in TNF-α in different samples. Higher levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ in antral indicate that the colonization of bacteria in the antrum may be higher than stomach body (culture results from two sites support this statement). Increased serum level of IFN-γ indicates the activation of circulating-T cells against infection. Induced H. pylori-related TNF-α is concentrated is gastric mucosa and this pathogen does not cause any significant change in the serum level of this cytokine. Therefore H. pylori by inducing certain inflammatory cytokines but not IL-10 may contribute the process of disease development.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with various potential etiology, including infectious disease. The number of studies on the association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and MS is limited. So, in this study, we aimed to assess the relation between H. pylori infection and MS in Kerman city, the center of the largest province in Iran. Materials and Methods: In a case-control study, 71 patients with newly diagnosed MS and 145 sex- and age-matched controls were included. Blood samples for IgG anti-HP antibodies were collected from all individuals. SPSS software version 22 was used for data analysis. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 71 patients with newly diagnosed MS consisted of 48 (67.6%) women and 23 (32.39%) men were included in our study. The mean age was 43 ± 10 years. The mean ages in the case and control groups were 43.83 ± 10.40 and 44.41±16.30 years, respectively (p = 0.114). The control group more commonly had used smoking (p = 0.814). Alcohol consumption was higher in the control group (p = 0.965). More than 40% of the patients in the case group and 55.17% in the control group had body mass index (BMI) > 25 (p = 0.074). H. pylori seropositivity was observed in 61.97% of the MS group compared with 76.55% of the non-MS group (p = 0.021). Conclusion: We concluded that patients with newly diagnosed MS had low H. pylori seropositivity, so H. pylori infection may have a protective effect against MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Although Helicobacter pylori and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the main causes of peptic ulcers disease (PUD), recently the prevalence of idiopathic peptic ulcer (IPU) is increasing in most parts of the world. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of IPU in Kerman, the center of largest province in south-east Iran. METHODS We included 215 patients with peptic ulcer in our study. Combined methods rapid urease test (RUT), histology, and real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on endoscopic samples of peptic ulcers. NSAID use was determined by medical history. SPSS software version 16 was used for data analysis. p value<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS Of 215 consecutive patients with peptic ulcer, four (1.8%) had H.pylorinegative and NSAID-negative PUD. There were not significant differences between patients with IPU and patients with peptic ulcer associated with H.pylori or NSAIDs regarding the sex, age, cigarette smoking, and opioid abuse. CONCLUSION Our study showed that in contrast to other reports from western and some Asian countries, the prevalence of IPU is low in Kerman and H.pylori infection is still the major cause of PUD. We recommend a large and multi-central study to determine the prevalence of IPU in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to methanol extracts of 12 Iranian medicinal plants used in folk medicine for the treatment of gastric ailments including peptic ulcers disease was screened against one metronidazole-sensitive and one-metronidazole resistant strain of H. pylori using the disk diffusion method. Active extracts (zone of inhibition ≥15 mm) were then re-assayed to obtain the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against 12 clinical isolates of H. pylori by using the agar dilution method. Extracts of the aerial part of Artemisia dracunculus L. (Compositae) and Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae), leaves of Salvia mirzayanii Rech. & Esfand. (Lamiaceae) and Salvia officinalis L. (Lamiaceae), flowers of Zataria multiflora Boiss. (Lamiaceae), fruits of Bunium persicum (Boiss.) B. Fedtsch. (Apiaceae), Carum carvi L. (Apiaceae), Heracleum persicum Desf. ex Fischer (Apiaceae), Pimpinella anisum L. (Apiaceae), Trachyspermum copticum (L.) Link (Apiaceae) and Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae), and seeds of Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae) were evaluated in the study. Among them, S. mirzayanii had the strongest activity against H. pylori, with a MIC of 32 μg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the most common gastrointestinal cancer in Iran. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) accounts as one of the main risk factors for gastric non-cardia cancer (GNCC). It is suggested that high serum selenium level may have a protective role in GNCC. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the serum Se level and the status of H. pylori infection in two populations with GC and functional dyspepsia (FD). Methods: The enrolled patients were 85 (27 women, 58 men) with recent pathologically proven GNCC (adenocarcinoma) and 85 (34 women, 51 men) FD patients. Serum Se was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. H. pylori IgG antibody was detected by quantitative enzyme immunoassay. Results: The mean age in the GNCC and FD patients were 62.85±14.6 and 58.9±14.7 years, respectively (P=0.08). The serum selenium levels were 111.6±27.7 and 129.9±32.1 μg/L (mean±SD) in GNCC and FD patients, respectively (P<0.001). The frequency of H. pylori infection was 49.4% (n=42) and 68.2% (n=58) in GNCC and FD patients (P=0.013). The crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) between GNCC and the linear effect of serum selenium level were 0.98 and 0.982, respectively (P=0.002). This means that each unit increase in serum selenium level decreases the odds of cancer by 2%. Conclusion: Serum selenium level was significantly lower in GNCC cases. It suggests that lower serum selenium might have some association with the risk of GNCC. H. pylori infection does not play a significant impact on this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clarithromycin resistance in Helicbacter pylori has been found to be associated with point mutations in 23s rRNA gene leads to reduced affinity of the antibiotic to its ribosomal target or changing the site of methylation. The aim of this study was to determine the most important point mutations in 23s rRNA gene in H. pylori that are closely related to clarithromycin resistance among such isolates. Methods: Sixty three H. pylori isolates, obtained from gastric biopsy speciemens in Kerman, Iran, were used to evaluate their susceptibility to clarithromycin by disk diffusion test, and to detect the most common point mutations in 23s rRNA gene associated with clarithromycin resistance by Polymerase chain reaction-amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and 3'-mismatch PCR. Results: 31.7% of the H. pylori isolates were resistant to clarithromycin, and each of the resistant isolate had at least one of the most common point mutations in 23s rRNA gene associated with calrithromycin resistance. Conclusion: According to our results three common point mutation in 23s rRNA gene in H. pylori are closely related to clarithromycin resistance. There was an absolute relation between 23s rRNA gene point mutations and clarithromycin resistance in this study. Helicbacter pylori resistance to clarithromycin can cause failure in the eradications of the bacteria. The resistance of the bacteria is expanding in most parts of the world including Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]