Acidophilus - Treatment of H. Pylori

[tara]

Utilization of Probiotics [acidophilus]

Of the clinical trials evaluating the association of the classical antibiotic and proton pump inhibitor therapy with probiotics for H. pylori eradication in patients with gastroduodenal pathologies, three were randomized but not placebo controlled ( Table 1 ). This is a critical aspect in the analysis of results because one of the main outcomes evaluated in these studies is the intensity of the adverse effects of the antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors, which has a strong subjective component. Three different probiotics were evaluated in these studies: heat-inactivated L. acidophilus LB,[42] Lactobacillus GG[43] and a yogurt (AB yogurt) containing L. acidophilus La5 and B. lactis Bb12.[44] RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OF L. ACIDOPHILUS LB WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE ERADICATION OF H. PYLORI FROM 72% TO 87% (P < 0.02) without decreases in adverse effects. The study using LGG showed a lower incidence of side effects, especially diarrhoea, bloating and taste disturbances without an improved eradication rate. In the trial with the AB yogurt, side effects were less frequent and a higher proportion of patients completed the full week of antibiotic treatment. In the intention-to-treat analysis H. pylori eradication was also higher in the yogurt group (91% vs. 78%, P < 0.05) but this difference disappeared in the per protocol analysis. Fecal bifidobacteria decreased during antibiotic treatment in both groups of patients but in the yogurt group its numbers returned to basal values more rapidly.

H. pylori remains incompletely understood but must be very efficient: in the less developed countries, the pathogen is generally acquired during childhood and, if untreated, the infection will persist throughout the life of the individual. Helicobacter pylori is one of the most prevalent pathogens as more than 50% of the world population is colonized by this micro-organism, low socio-economic level and bad hygienic conditions being the main risk factors. In consequence, the prevalence of infection is lower and begins later in developed countries where 30-40% of the population is infected in adulthood while in developing countries this rate reaches 80-90% in adulthood and most children are already colonized by 10 years of age.[2-5] Gastric colonization by H. pylori results in a chronic gastritis which will remain asymptomatic in most subjects who, consequently, may not be treated with antibiotics to eradicate.The treatment currently available for colonized symptomatic patients includes a combination of antibiotics (amoxicillin, clarythromicin, metronidazol, etc.) and a proton-pump inhibitor (omeprazol, lanzoprazol, pentoprazol, etc.) for 1-2 weeks.[2] However, THIS TREATMENT DOES NOT ERADICATE H. PYLORI IN ALL PATIENTS BECAUSE OF THE APPEARANCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE and moderate patient compliance due to adverse effects such as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and taste alterations. it.http://services.medscape.com/viewarticle/528893_2

Helicobacter Infection, Chronic Inflammation, and the Development of Malignancy
Posted 01/10/2005
Sheila E. Crowe, Digestive Health Center of Excellence, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

Chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori affects approximately half the world and results in malignancy in a small subset of this population. Although the frequency of infection in developed nations is falling with a resultant decline in H. PYLORI-ASSOCIATED PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE, GASTRIC CANCER REMAINS THE SECOND MAJOR CAUSE OF CANCER DEATH WORLDWIDE, WITH H. PYLORI INFECTION BEING A MAJOR ATTRIBUTABLE FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GASTRIC CANCER. This review provides an update on the pathogenesis of Helicobacter infection, the malignancies associated with infection, and how infection and chronic inflammation may lead to the development of gastric malignancy, emphasizing recent developments in the field, particularly those published in leading journals.\

Recent Findings: Recent studies have broadened our understanding of the pathogenesis of CHRONIC INFLAMMATION ASSOCIATED WITH HELICOBACTER INFECTION, AND HOW CHRONIC INFLAMMATION CONTRIBUTES TO CARCINOGENESIS. There is also continuing evidence from eradication studies in humans and animal models to support the association of Helicobacter infection with gastric cancer. Although there are some differences in the various human trials, recent studies support the notion that early eradication of infection may prevent the development of malignancy, but once certain events have taken place, the process leading to cancer may not be reversible. Continued research into bacterial and host factors that are associated with an increased risk of the development of gastric cancer have also enhanced our understanding of this field.?
Summary: The emerging literature has important implications for the understanding of the basic pathophysiology leading to malignancy in chronic H. pylori infection throughout the world. Treatment of infection may be beneficial in preventing the development of cancer in certain settings, and the role of antioxidants and other approaches is promising but requires further study. Findings from the investigation of host and bacterial factors that may predispose to the development of more severe disease manifestations including gastric cancer are also important developments in this area.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

[tara]

Utilization of Probiotics [acidophilus]

Of the clinical trials evaluating the association of the classical antibiotic and proton pump inhibitor therapy with probiotics for H. pylori eradication in patients with gastroduodenal pathologies, three were randomized but not placebo controlled ( Table 1 ). This is a critical aspect in the analysis of results because one of the main outcomes evaluated in these studies is the intensity of the adverse effects of the antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors, which has a strong subjective component. Three different probiotics were evaluated in these studies: heat-inactivated L. acidophilus LB,[42] Lactobacillus GG[43] and a yogurt (AB yogurt) containing L. acidophilus La5 and B. lactis Bb12.[44] RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OF L. ACIDOPHILUS LB WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE ERADICATION OF H. PYLORI FROM 72% TO 87% (P < 0.02) without decreases in adverse effects. The study using LGG showed a lower incidence of side effects, especially diarrhoea, bloating and taste disturbances without an improved eradication rate. In the trial with the AB yogurt, side effects were less frequent and a higher proportion of patients completed the full week of antibiotic treatment. In the intention-to-treat analysis H. pylori eradication was also higher in the yogurt group (91% vs. 78%, P < 0.05) but this difference disappeared in the per protocol analysis. Fecal bifidobacteria decreased during antibiotic treatment in both groups of patients but in the yogurt group its numbers returned to basal values more rapidly.

H. pylori remains incompletely understood but must be very efficient: in the less developed countries, the pathogen is generally acquired during childhood and, if untreated, the infection will persist throughout the life of the individual. Helicobacter pylori is one of the most prevalent pathogens as more than 50% of the world population is colonized by this micro-organism, low socio-economic level and bad hygienic conditions being the main risk factors. In consequence, the prevalence of infection is lower and begins later in developed countries where 30-40% of the population is infected in adulthood while in developing countries this rate reaches 80-90% in adulthood and most children are already colonized by 10 years of age.[2-5] Gastric colonization by H. pylori results in a chronic gastritis which will remain asymptomatic in most subjects who, consequently, may not be treated with antibiotics to eradicate.The treatment currently available for colonized symptomatic patients includes a combination of antibiotics (amoxicillin, clarythromicin, metronidazol, etc.) and a proton-pump inhibitor (omeprazol, lanzoprazol, pentoprazol, etc.) for 1-2 weeks.[2] However, THIS TREATMENT DOES NOT ERADICATE H. PYLORI IN ALL PATIENTS BECAUSE OF THE APPEARANCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE and moderate patient compliance due to adverse effects such as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and taste alterations. it.http://services.medscape.com/viewarticle/528893_2

Helicobacter Infection, Chronic Inflammation, and the Development of Malignancy
Posted 01/10/2005
Sheila E. Crowe, Digestive Health Center of Excellence, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

Chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori affects approximately half the world and results in malignancy in a small subset of this population. Although the frequency of infection in developed nations is falling with a resultant decline in H. PYLORI-ASSOCIATED PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE, GASTRIC CANCER REMAINS THE SECOND MAJOR CAUSE OF CANCER DEATH WORLDWIDE, WITH H. PYLORI INFECTION BEING A MAJOR ATTRIBUTABLE FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GASTRIC CANCER. This review provides an update on the pathogenesis of Helicobacter infection, the malignancies associated with infection, and how infection and chronic inflammation may lead to the development of gastric malignancy, emphasizing recent developments in the field, particularly those published in leading journals.\

Recent Findings: Recent studies have broadened our understanding of the pathogenesis of CHRONIC INFLAMMATION ASSOCIATED WITH HELICOBACTER INFECTION, AND HOW CHRONIC INFLAMMATION CONTRIBUTES TO CARCINOGENESIS. There is also continuing evidence from eradication studies in humans and animal models to support the association of Helicobacter infection with gastric cancer. Although there are some differences in the various human trials, recent studies support the notion that early eradication of infection may prevent the development of malignancy, but once certain events have taken place, the process leading to cancer may not be reversible. Continued research into bacterial and host factors that are associated with an increased risk of the development of gastric cancer have also enhanced our understanding of this field.?
Summary: The emerging literature has important implications for the understanding of the basic pathophysiology leading to malignancy in chronic H. pylori infection throughout the world. Treatment of infection may be beneficial in preventing the development of cancer in certain settings, and the role of antioxidants and other approaches is promising but requires further study. Findings from the investigation of host and bacterial factors that may predispose to the development of more severe disease manifestations including gastric cancer are also important developments in this area.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

[tara]

U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1994 issued an advisory to all American physicians to discontinue the prescription of cimetidine, omeprazole, and ranitidine for their ulcer patients. Instead, the physicians were advised to treat them with the appropriate regimen of antibiotics, antibacterials, and bismuth compounds to eradicate the H. pylori and permanently cure the ulcers(2).

It would appear that both the medical community and the pharmaceutical industry largely ignored the advice by the NIH to the painful and costly detriment of their patients.

A 1995 survey by an Australian physician showed that less than one per cent of 38,000 war veterans with stomach ulcers were receiving the recommended treatment for their condition (tetracycline, metronidazole, and bismuth subcitrate) (26).

The pharmaceutical industry reacted vigorously to the threat posed by the NIH advice to their $8 billion a year antacid market by making a swift deal with the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to allow their antiulcer drugs to be sold without a prescription. With this master stroke the drug companies freed medical doctors from the ethical burden of prescribing ineffective, costly drugs while at the same time maintaining or perhaps even expanding their market among the broad segment of the population who had never heard of H. pylori much less the 1994 NIH advice. Not surprisingly, the drug company executive who negotiated the deal with the FDA was later named one of the 25 most successful business men in a 1995 survey by Business Week(27).

Although the eradication of H. pylori and a complete cure of ulcers can now be accomplished by a one-week treatment with pharmaceutical drugs, there are undoubtedly a great many patients who would rather avoid drugs altogether.

For them there is now exciting news from New Zealand. Professor Peter Molan, MBE of the University of Waikato has found that certain strains of Manuka honey are very effective in completely eradicating H. pylori when tested in the laboratory(2. Honey as such has long been known to alleviate dyspepsia and diarrhea and is a very effective wound dressing and antibacterial agent(29,30,31). Manuka honey, however, is unique in its ability to completely eradicate H. pylori and this effect is only found in honey from specific geographic areas(32). A preliminary clinical trial of Manuka honey showed that ulcer patients who took 20 g of honey four times daily, one hour before meals and at bedtime, experienced considerably less pain and discomfort than patients who took a honey with no antibacterial activity. Unfortunately, the preliminary trial had to be terminated early, but another trial is in the planning stage. The protocol of this trial will be modified by including a slice of bread with the honey in order to increase the retention time in the stomach(32).

http://www.yourhealthbase.com/ulcer_drugs.htm

[tara]

U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1994 issued an advisory to all American physicians to discontinue the prescription of cimetidine, omeprazole, and ranitidine for their ulcer patients. Instead, the physicians were advised to treat them with the appropriate regimen of antibiotics, antibacterials, and bismuth compounds to eradicate the H. pylori and permanently cure the ulcers(2).

It would appear that both the medical community and the pharmaceutical industry largely ignored the advice by the NIH to the painful and costly detriment of their patients.

A 1995 survey by an Australian physician showed that less than one per cent of 38,000 war veterans with stomach ulcers were receiving the recommended treatment for their condition (tetracycline, metronidazole, and bismuth subcitrate) (26).

The pharmaceutical industry reacted vigorously to the threat posed by the NIH advice to their $8 billion a year antacid market by making a swift deal with the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to allow their antiulcer drugs to be sold without a prescription. With this master stroke the drug companies freed medical doctors from the ethical burden of prescribing ineffective, costly drugs while at the same time maintaining or perhaps even expanding their market among the broad segment of the population who had never heard of H. pylori much less the 1994 NIH advice. Not surprisingly, the drug company executive who negotiated the deal with the FDA was later named one of the 25 most successful business men in a 1995 survey by Business Week(27).

Although the eradication of H. pylori and a complete cure of ulcers can now be accomplished by a one-week treatment with pharmaceutical drugs, there are undoubtedly a great many patients who would rather avoid drugs altogether.

For them there is now exciting news from New Zealand. Professor Peter Molan, MBE of the University of Waikato has found that certain strains of Manuka honey are very effective in completely eradicating H. pylori when tested in the laboratory(2. Honey as such has long been known to alleviate dyspepsia and diarrhea and is a very effective wound dressing and antibacterial agent(29,30,31). Manuka honey, however, is unique in its ability to completely eradicate H. pylori and this effect is only found in honey from specific geographic areas(32). A preliminary clinical trial of Manuka honey showed that ulcer patients who took 20 g of honey four times daily, one hour before meals and at bedtime, experienced considerably less pain and discomfort than patients who took a honey with no antibacterial activity. Unfortunately, the preliminary trial had to be terminated early, but another trial is in the planning stage. The protocol of this trial will be modified by including a slice of bread with the honey in order to increase the retention time in the stomach(32).

http://www.yourhealthbase.com/ulcer_drugs.htm

[tara]

Honey outperforms antibiotics

Researchers attending the First World Wound Healing Congress in Melbourne learned that honey has outperformed conventional antibiotics in treating burns and infected caesarean sections. Honey can eradicate E. coli, Salmonella, and Helicobacter pylori and even kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria including the hospital superbug MRSA. Not all types of honey work though. The most effective ones are manuka honey from New Zealand and jelly bush honey from Australia. It is believed that these varieties release hydrogen peroxide which is deadly to microbes.

Dr. Peter Molan of the University of Waikato in NZ has found that swallowing half a teaspoon of manuka honey on an empty stomach will eradicate the bacteria Helicobacter pylori that cause most stomach ulcers.

New Scientist, October 7, 2000, pp. 32-35

http://www.yourhealthbase.com/database/n107f.htm

[tara]

Honey outperforms antibiotics

Researchers attending the First World Wound Healing Congress in Melbourne learned that honey has outperformed conventional antibiotics in treating burns and infected caesarean sections. Honey can eradicate E. coli, Salmonella, and Helicobacter pylori and even kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria including the hospital superbug MRSA. Not all types of honey work though. The most effective ones are manuka honey from New Zealand and jelly bush honey from Australia. It is believed that these varieties release hydrogen peroxide which is deadly to microbes.

Dr. Peter Molan of the University of Waikato in NZ has found that swallowing half a teaspoon of manuka honey on an empty stomach will eradicate the bacteria Helicobacter pylori that cause most stomach ulcers.

New Scientist, October 7, 2000, pp. 32-35

http://www.yourhealthbase.com/database/n107f.htm

[lftipton]

Acidophilus is wonderful and yogurt is a good source. It's a healthy addition to everyone's regimen. Kefir is a superior product for immune boosting and establishing intestinal flora that is damaged with antibiotic treatment because the good bacteria in Kefir actually colonizes in the colon whereas Acidophilus does not. Acidophilus has to be taken daily to continue to benefit. I use both...but I place empahasis on Kefir. prayers...Linda

[lftipton]

Acidophilus is wonderful and yogurt is a good source. It's a healthy addition to everyone's regimen. Kefir is a superior product for immune boosting and establishing intestinal flora that is damaged with antibiotic treatment because the good bacteria in Kefir actually colonizes in the colon whereas Acidophilus does not. Acidophilus has to be taken daily to continue to benefit. I use both...but I place empahasis on Kefir. prayers...Linda