Gastric bacterial flora in patients harbouring Helicobacter pylori with or without dyspepsia
Verima Pereira, Philip Abraham, Sivaramaiah Nallapeta, Anjali Shetty
P. D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre, India
: J Liver Disease Transplant
Abstract
Background: The role of the gastric microflora in the production of symptoms in patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has not been explored. We investigated qualitatively thebacterial flora in the stomachs of patients harbouring H. pylori infection, in order to determine differences, if any, related to presence or absence of dyspepsia. Methods: Seventy-four gastric biopsy samples obtained at endoscopy from patients with (n=21) or without (n=53) dyspepsia, and that tested positive by the bedside rapid urease test for H. pylori infection, were studied for detection of H. pylori and non-H. pylori organisms. These organisms were identified by matrix-associated laser desorption ionization time-of- flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS). Results: A total of 115 non-H. pylori isolates (34 from dyspeptic and 81 from non-dyspeptic patients) were obtained from the 74 samples. These were identified by MALDI-TOF MS as Staphylococcus spp, Streptococcus spp, Lactobacillus spp, Micrococcus spp, Enterococcus spp, Pseudomonas spp, Escherichia spp, Klebsiella spp and Bacillus spp; nine isolates (eight in non-dyspeptics and one in dyspeptics) could not be identified from the Bruker Biotyper 2 database. Staphylococcus and Lactobacillus were more commonly identified in dyspeptics and Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae more commonly in non-dyspeptics. Conclusions: The human stomach harbouring Helicobacter pylori is also host to a wide range of organisms. There is a difference in the spectrum between patients with and without dyspepsia. Their role in the production of symptoms in H. pylori infection needs to be studied, and especially whether this opens an avenue for therapeutic intervention.
Biography
