Helicobacter pylori infection and allergic diseases

Chronic gastritis is generally believed to be one of the most frequent pathologies occurring in the human population. Gastritis is most frequently defined as an inflammatory reaction of the gastric mucosa to damage. H. pylori is a main causative agent of chronic gastritis. The inflammatory process of gastric mucosa involves different immunological mechanisms, both cellular and humoral. The results of some of the studies might suggest that food allergy and H. pylori infection are associated. Moreover, it was shown that rats developed increased acid secretion and delayed stomach emptying in the course of IgE dependent gastric-intestinal reactions. It is suggested that after the infection with H. pylori, the delayed stomach emptying is even more protracted, which helps further colonization of bacteria and their penetration into protective layers of the mucus. Additionally, H. pylori infection may lead to gastric mucosa damage, and as it was shown in the experimental models and in studies with children, it may accelerate the permeation of macromolecules of food, and help induce allergic reactions to food. In atopic patients infected with H. pylori, tong-term exposure to food allergens intensifies the severity of gastritis. H. pylori have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria and atopic dermatitis.