Hp and pH: Implications for the Eradication of Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori infection causes inflammation of the gastric and duodenal mucosae, which results in a disturbance of the regulatory mechanisms for gastrin, gastric acid and pepsin secretion. Acid secretion may be decreased, normal or increased, depending on the stage of infection, although the meal-stimulated gastrin response is invariably elevated. The exact mechanisms involved are not known but may be due to the release of cytokines in …