Helicobacter pylori and inflammatory bowel diseases: causation or a merecoincidence
General Medicine, 2025, 27(2), 41-47.
H. Valkov, I. Lyutakov, P. Peneva, B. Golemanov, B. Vladimirov, P. Penchev
Department of Gastroenterology,
University Hospital “Tsaritsa Yoanna – ISUL”, Medical University ‒ Sofia
Abstract. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic, immune-mediated disorders of the gastrointestinal tract with unclear etiology and pathogenesis. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) ranks among the most common chronic bacterial infections, affecting half of the human population. Although most literature sources show a negative association between H. pylori and IBD, and the nature of this connection remains unclear. This literature review aims to present a comprehensive and in-depth overview of the latest clinical data regarding the association between H. pylori and IBD. The available literature sources on the potential protective role of H. pylori against the development of IBD have been thoroughly examined, along with the data concerning H. pylori incidence in patients with diagnosed IBD. Furthermore, the review includes the clinical results from the potential association between the presence of H. pylori and the severity of the IBD course. In addition, the literature review summarizes certain data related to the eradication therapy for H. pylori and the subsequent risk of developing IBD, as well as the role that the treatment for H. pylori by itself plays in the exacerbation of IBD.
Key words: inflammatory bowel diseases, ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, Helicobacter pylori