Good bugs and bad bugs: indications and therapies for Helicobacter pylori eradication.

The discovery of Helicobacter pylori has had a major clinical impact. Clinical research is now focused on the role of H. pylori and H. pylori eradication in the treatment of several upper gastrointestinal disorders such as non-ulcer dyspepsia, ulceration during therapy with aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs, the treatment of precancerous conditions of the stomach, and the prevention of gastric cancer. Triple and quadruple therapies have become the standard for H. pylori eradication. The expansion of knowledge and the development of new therapeutic modalities are likely to lead to a further implementation of H. pylori-related methods in strategies for the prevention and treatment of upper gastrointestinal disorders.