Helicobacter bacteria suspected under Parkinson's

Discovered association between Helicobacter pylori bacteria and Parkinson's disease

27/05/2011

The development of Parkinson's may be significantly influenced by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. This was reported by an American research team led by Traci Testerman of Louisiana State University at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New Orleans.

In animal experiments, the researchers were able to prove that infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori causes the typical Parkinson's symptoms. Three to five months after infecting mice with a specific strain of the stomach bacterium, the animals showed clear signs of Parkinson's disease, said US researchers around Traci Testerman. The scientists suspect that the stomach bacteria in humans can cause an increased risk of Parkinson's.

Discovery between Parkinson's and stomach bacteria
The US researchers led by Traci Testerman of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the Health Sciences Center of Louisiana State University have examined in their study a possible link between an infection with the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori and the development of Parkinson's disease. The bacteria Helicobacter pylori are normally known for their gastric ulcer causing effects, but the results of the US researchers suggest that the pathogen can also be a major factor in the occurrence of Parkinson's disease. "Our findings suggest that H. pylori infection may play a key role in the development of human Parkinson's disease," said Traci Testerman at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

Few months after the infection first Parkinson's signs
The researchers studied the effects of Helicobacter pylori infection on mice of various ages. Young and old animals were infected with three different strains of Helicobacter pylori strains and subsequently examined regularly in the laboratory. The review of motor skills and dopamine levels in the brain of mice was in the foreground of scientific interest because it can be read according to the US researchers, the typical signs of Parkinson's disease. The scientists reported that one of the strains of Helicobacter pylori strains had the typical infected Parkinson's symptoms about three to five months after infection. This suggests that the corresponding bacterial strain may also favor the development of Parkinson's disease in humans, said Traci Testerman. In addition, the older mice had significantly more pronounced Parkinson's symptoms than the young animals, explained the expert. Testerman concluded that the normal aging process also increases susceptibility to Parkinson's in mice. Since only one of the Helicobacter pylori bacterial strains has shown the Parkinson-causing effect, the researchers hope in future studies to be able to narrow down more precisely which aspects cause the development of Parkinson's.

Helicobacter pylori infections cause various diseases
Overall, bacterial infections with Helicobacter pylori are associated with a variety of different diseases, but these usually focus on the stomach or the digestive tract. However, a possible association with a neurological disorder such as Parkinson's is new. Gastric disorders for which Helicobacter pylori has been blamed in the past include increased gastric acid secretion, bacterial gastritis (type B gastritis), gastric ulcers (around 75 percent are due to Helicobacter pylori) and duodenal ulcers (almost exclusively caused by Helicobacter pylori). In addition, persistent Helicobacter pylori infections are considered a risk factor for gastric cancer. (Fp)

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Picture: A. Rausch