E3 Helicobacter pylori Flashcards
(65 cards)
where are bacteria located in the GIT and in what amounts?
- tongue / mouth
- saliva (millions of bacteria per ml)
- oesophagus / stomach (very few bacteria)
- lower part of small intestine / colon (trillions of bacteria)
what percent of faeces is bacteria?
bacteria constitute 40% of dry weight of faeces
state some examples of bacteria in the stomach that cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoes
- camplylobacter jejuni
- salmonella spp
- shigella spp
- escherichia coli
- vibrio cholerae
describe the bacteria in the stomach that cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
- short term survival (unpleasant side effects but body will clear this within a couple of days)
- unable to colonise
bacteria that cause gastric ulceration
Helicobacter pylori
describe the bacteria in the stomach that cause gastric ulceration
- long term survival
- not readily eradicated
- able to colonise mucus cells lining the stomach and break down mucus layer
- causes a permanent infection that can also be asymptomatic
what symptoms can helicobacter pylori cause?
inflammation
gastric ulcer
duodenal ulcer
increased acid secretion
is helicobacter pylori infection common? describe the infection
- very common, usually during childhood
- infects lower part of stomach (antrum)
- infects around 40% of people in the UK
- asymptomatic in 80-90% of infected people
what does helicobacter pylori increase the risk of?
stomach cancer
asymptomatic infections of helicobacter pylori are not well understood. what are some reasons there could be for this?
- individuals characteristics of immune systems
- varying strains of H. pylori
- other unknown environmental factors
4 requirements for colonisation of the stomach by H. pylori
- acid neutralising system
- adhesion molecules
- movement
- degradation of mucus
what does H. pylori colonisation of the stomach cause?
- damage to the mucus layer
- epithelial cells are no longer protected against gastric acid
describe the requirement for H. pylori colonisation of the stomach: acid neutralising system
- urease enzyme (converts urea into ammonia)
- transporter proteins (proton-gated urea channel)
describe the requirement for H. pylori colonisation of the stomach: adhesion molecules
- present on outer membrane
- bind sugar molecules on surface of stomach
describe the requirement for H. pylori colonisation of the stomach: movement
flagella
describe the requirement for H. pylori colonisation of the stomach: degradation of mucus
enzymes:
- lipases
- proteases
why is a proton-gated urea channel required for H. pylori to neutralise stomach pH?
urea needs to get into the cell so it can be converted into ammonia by urease enzyme
describe the acid neutralising activity of Helicobacter pylori in detail
- urea is converted into ammonia and carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide leaves the cell)
- ammonia accepts protons in the inter membrane space that are readily available from the stomach and removes protons from free state
- this increases the pH and makes the stomach less acidic
describe the structure of the urease enzyme
2 amino acid chains
alpha chain: 238 amino acids
beta chain: 569 amino acids
describe the structure of the proton-gated urea channel
- single amino acid chain of 195 amino acids
- ring-like structure with pores to permit urea transport
- ‘proton-gated’ = pH sensitive
what pHs is the proton-gated urea channel fully open and closed?
pH < 5 = channel fully open
pH > 7 = channel closed
non-invasive diagnostic tests for H. pylori
- breath test
- stool antigen test
- blood test
invasive diagnostic test for H. pylori, give an advantage of it too
- gastroscopy and take biopsy for culture
advantage: high sensitivity testing
- patients with reduced antibiotic choice (hypersensitivity, previous use of antibiotics)
- can tell you the specific strain of H. pylori so a specific antibiotic can be chosen
who are the invasive H. pylori diagnostic tests used on?
patients who received eradication therapy, but remain Helicobacter positive