Identification of enterohepatic Helicobacter species in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease.

Using a group-specific PCR assay, we investigated the presence of enterohepatic Helicobacter species in gut specimens from patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Enterohepatic Helicobacter species were detected in 12% (3 of 25) of the patients with Crohn's disease, in 17% (3 of 18) of the ulcerative colitis samples, and in 4% (1 of 23) of the controls.

A group-specific PCR assay for the detection of Helicobacteraceae in human gut.

Background: Enterohepatic Helicobacter species are emerging pathogens, which are increasingly isolated from humans with enteric diseases. Nevertheless, current methods to detect Helicobacteraceae in the human gut have significant limitations.

Methods: Based on 16S-rRNA gene alignments and computer aided primer analysis a set of group-specific PCR primers was designed.