High prevalence of dna from non-H. pylori helicobacters in the gastric mucosa of venezuelan pet dogs and its histological alterations

Abstract

SUMMARYNon-H. pylori helicobacters (NHPH) have been demonstrated as gastric spiral-shaped bacteria in specimens obtained from dogs; however, their roles in the pathogenesis of upper gastrointestinal disease have not yet been clearly established. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of NHPH DNA in the gastric mucosa of dogs and its association with histopathology. Helicobacter was detected through histopathological techniques, PCR, and FISH analysis from fundic biopsies of twenty dogs with or without signs of gastrointestinal disease. PCR and FISH were based on partial 16S rRNA gene sequences. Nineteen dogs showed mild to marked gastritis in the fundus, and only one dog had a healthy gastric mucosa. NHPH DNA was detected in 18 dogs with gastritis and one with normal gastric mucosa. However, there was no significant correlation between the presence of NHPH DNA and the degree of gastritis. These results show a high prevalence of NHPH DNA in the gastric mucosa of dogs from Venezuela. Further studies are necessary to determine a possible association between a specific NHPH species and the degree of gastritis.

Preclinical evaluation of anti-Helicobacter spp. activity of Hippocratea celastroides Kunth and its acute and sub-acute toxicity

“…Taking care of the zoonotic potential, this fact indicates the importance of the health problem for both humans and pets. In relation to the mean lesions found in the gastric mucosa of the dogs examined, our results concur with other studies that report the frequent occurrence of gastritis in dogs, mainly superficial gastritis, chronic active gastritis and lymphoid follicles [17, 19, 48, 49]. When compared to human studies, the lesions found in H. pylori infection are similar, and establish that chronic inflammation by H. pylori causes superficial gastritis that may evolve to gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia in approximately half of patients, especially in patients suffering from severe inflammation [50, 51].…”

Presence and significance of Helicobacter spp. in the gastric mucosa of Portuguese dogs

“…In pet animals, gastric Helicobacter spp. have been frequently described with a prevalence ranging from 67–86% in clinically healthy dogs and 61–100% in animals presenting chronic vomiting [ 10 - 14 ]. These microorganisms were detected in the stomach of about 100% of laboratory Beagle dogs and dogs from local shelters [ 15 - 17 ].…”

“…Several investigations have discussed the prevalence of Helicobacter spp. in dogs [ 2 , 10 , 11 , 14 , 16 ] but in only few studies the specific species present in the canine stomach were determined [ 4 , 19 , 27 , 28 ]. The accurate identification of the gastric helicobacters to the species level is essential in order to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of all taxa.…”

A comparison of Helicobacter pylori and non‐Helicobacter pylori Helicobacter spp. Binding to Canine Gastric Mucosa with Defined Gastric Glycophenotype

“…The gastric mucosa of dogs is often colonized by helicobacters different from Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). These non-H. pylori helicobacters (NHPH) are present in 67-86% of clinically healthy dogs, in 61-100% of animals presenting chronic vomiting [1][2][3][4][5] and in about 100% of laboratory dogs and dogs from local shelters [6][7][8]. The predominant gastric Helicobacter species in dogs are H. felis, H. bizzozeronii, and H. heilmannii sensu stricto (s.s.), while H. salomonis is less often detected and the prevalence of H. cynogastricus and H. baculiformis…”