Non-pylori helicobacter species in humans

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Abstract
In 1987, Dent et al described the presence of a novel bacterium in 3/1300 gastric biopsies.3The initial differentiation was based on morphology, the bacterium having a larger tight helical shape compared to the S shape ofH pylori (fig 1). Subsequent studies have shown that while rarely found in humans it is the dominant gastric organism in a number of animal species including primates, pigs, cats, and dogs.4 Although first given the nameGastrospirillum hominis this gastric bacterium has subsequently been shown to belong to theHelicobacter genus and has been given the provisional name of Helicobacter heilmannii.5 6 Another bacterium, Helicobacter felis, which is morphologically similar to H heilmannii by light microscopy, has also been noted in three cases.7-9Its identification is based on the presence of periplasmic fibres which are only visible by electron microscopy. H felis has been used extensively in mouse models ofH pyloriinfection.10

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