Variety of Bugs May Cause Stomach Cancer - Study By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent WASHINGTON Jan 16, 2002 (Reuters) Chronic heartburn may keep millions reaching for antacids but taking them may actually make the stomach more hospitable to the bacteria the body is trying to kill and an antibiotic may be a better choice, researchers said. Two reports published this week suggest that a variety of bacteria may be responsible for the inflammation that causes ulcers and stomach cancer. The studies -- done so far only in mice -- build on the recent and startling discovery that the bacteria Helicobacter pylori is behind most cases of stomach cancer. It turns out that H. pylori may be just one of many bacterial culprits, said Dr. Juanita Merchant of the University of Michigan, who led both studies. And drugs used to lower stomach acidity may actually promote the growth of these other bacteria, Merchant warned. ``One important take-home point from our papers is that you don't want to block acid secretion over the long term just to treat either the bacterial overgrowth or the Helicobacter infection, because that's going to potentially create other problems,'' Merchant said. ``Antibiotics should be used to treat such bacterial overgrowth, which will restore the normal acid-control mechanism.'' The strongest acid blockers are the most dangerous to use long-term, Merchant said. Her team tested omeprazole, sold by AstraZeneca under the brand names Prilosec and Losec. Another drug in the same class, known as proton pump inhibitors, is lansoprazole, sold under the name Prevacid by TAP pharmaceuticals, a joint venture of Abbott Laboratories Inc. and Japan's Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd. ``In treating patients with gastrointestinal disorders, physicians usually aim to increase the pH of the stomach (lower its acidity) ... to try to protect their stomach linings from ulceration -- which physicians initially believed was due only to stomach acid,'' Merchant said. ``There is also the dogma that most ulcers are due to infections by Helicobacter.'' Merchant's team tested mice for their studies, published in the January issues of Gastroenterology and the American Journal of Physiology. ANTIBIOTICS GET RID OF INFLAMMATION When they treated normal mice with omeprazole for two months, the mice developed stomach inflammation that was due to bacterial overgrowth. The inflammation went away when the mice were given antibiotics. In another study they genetically engineered mice that do not make gastrin, a hormone associated with acid production. The mice developed stomach inflammation, called gastritis, but they could not be infected with Helicobacter. It turned out that the mice had so many other bacteria in their stomachs that there was no room for the Helicobacter to grow. Merchant said it is probably the body's response to the bacteria that is causing the damage that leads to ulcers and stomach cancer. Her findings build on previous research by other scientists, who believe some people may be genetically programmed to respond more strongly to bacteria -- which is why only some people get ulcers from bacterial infections. ``It's the inflammation that is probably doing the damage,'' Merchant said in a telephone interview. ``It doesn't matter whether it is Helicobacter or bacterial overgrowth. The stomach reacts the same.'' The bacteria that could be involved include lactobacillus, enterobacter, staphylococcus and probionibacterium. What concerns Merchant is the possibility that strong acid blockers may become available over the counter, without a doctor's prescription. ``People may stay on them long term and create problems for themselves,'' she said. Popping the occasional calcium tablet or even taking a weaker prescription antacid is probably not risky, she said. ``I don't think there is a problem over the short term,'' Merchant said. ``It is months and years of chronic acid suppression (that causes the problem).'' In the long term, Merchant said, it may be best to treat gastritis with anti-inflammatory drugs -- perhaps something safer than the current available medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen, which can worsen stomach pain. But she stressed that many studies will have to be done in people before that could be determined. Am J Epidemiol, 1/04 Probiotics & Helicobacter pylori Infections Diagnostic method for Helicobacter pylori Infection J Nutr & Env Med, 12/03 Mol Nutr Food Res, 9/2007 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.