Virulence of Helicobacter Pylori: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Undoubtedly, H. pylori is the major human gastric pathogen, which infects the mucosal epithelium in 50% of world population. However, H. pylori infection is relatively prevalent globally; the majority of infected individuals are asymptomatic. The recent epidemiological studies show that the various gastro intestinal complications can be the result of genetic variation in H. pylori strains. To date, different virulence factors had been suggested for H. pylori, but none of them can be a good biomarker for specific gastric disorders. In this review article, we aim to describe a comprehensive view on what we found in H. pylori virulence research in Iran. Hopefully, in parallel with new advances in sequencing systems, we will have better overview of virulence phenomenon of H. pylori in near future.