Copyright
©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 28, 2014; 20(36): 12839-12846
Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.12839
Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.12839
Role of Helicobacter pylori infection in autoimmune systemic rheumatic diseases
Mislav Radić, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Split School of Medicine, University Hospital Centre Split, 21 000 Split, Croatia
Author contributions: Radić M conceived the idea for the work, performed the literature review and wrote the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Mislav Radić, MD, PhD, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Split School of Medicine, University Hospital Centre Split, Šižgorićeva 20/II, 21 000 Split, Croatia. mislavradic@gmail.com
Telephone: +385-21-557497 Fax: +385-21-557497
Received: October 15, 2013
Revised: June 11, 2014
Accepted: July 22, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Processing time: 351 Days and 6.4 Hours
Revised: June 11, 2014
Accepted: July 22, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Processing time: 351 Days and 6.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: The exact etiology of systemic rheumatic diseases is unclear, but it has long been suggested that exposure to certain environmental agents, such as bacterial infection, in genetically predisposed individuals may be the trigger for the initiation of autoimmune processes. Because of its prevalence and ability to affect human immune function, many researchers have hypothesized that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) might contribute to the systemic rheumatic diseases development. I summarize the current state of knowledge about H. pylori role in autoimmune systemic rheumatic diseases and the possible mechanisms by which H. pylori exposures might induce pathological processes.