Acid-peptic disease infection

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, and rabeprazole, are commonly prescribed to treat symptoms of heartburn, acid reflux, chest pain, dyspepsia, and chronic cough. PPIs inhibit the transfer of protons into the stomach lumen. Pharmacological acid suppression is thus used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and esophagitis, peptic ulcers, and Helicobacter pylori infection as well as to prevent ulcer development with concurrent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. 

Abstract Persistent colonization of the human stomach by Helicobacter pylori is a risk factor for the development of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Adhesion of microbes to the target tissue is an important determinant for successful initiation, establishment and maintenance of infection, and a variety of different candidate carbohydrate receptors for H. pylori have been identified. Here the different the binding specifities, and their potential role in adhesion to human gastric epithelium are described. Finally, recent findings on the roles of sialic acid binding SabA adhesin in interactions with human neutrophils and erythrocytes are discussed. 

Until recently, it was believed that excess stomach acid caused stomach ulcers. It has now been proved that the cause is instead a bacterial infection and that ulcers can be successfully treated with antibiotics. The 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren for their discovery of the role of Helicobacter pylori in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. 

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