Virulence mechanisms of helicobacter pylori: An overview

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori is a highly successful human pathogen, able to establish a chronic infection in the harsh environment of the stomach. These bacteria express a variety of virulence factors that promote their survival under acidic conditions, motility and spatial orientation in gastric mucus and adherence to epithelial cells. Other pathogenicity-associated mechanisms contribute to chronic gastritis by inducing pro-inflammatory responses and by manipulating cellular responses in host cells. Although H. pylori elicits a strong inflammatory response, the immune system fails to clear the infection. The pathogen employs a range of evasion strategies to dampen or reduce host immune responses. Th..