[Human chronic gastritis associated with non-Helicobacter pylori spiral organisms (Gastrospirillum hominis). Four cases and review of the literature].

Four cases of human active chronic gastritis associated with Gastrospirillum hominis, a recently described spiral shaped organism are presented. These 4 cases originated from a series of 1976 consecutive gastric biopsies, i.e. a prevalence of 0.25 percent in our material, are compared with Helicobacter pylori prevalence of 45 percent. Histopathological findings were chronic active gastritis with mild or no atrophy. Electron microscopy showed spiral bacteria with terminal flagellae, identical to those previously described in the literature. These bacteria have not yet been cultured; similar organisms are found in many animal species, and it seems that they do not provoke gastric inflammation. Gastrospirillum hominis could be responsible for cases of Helicobacter pylori negative chronic gastritis in man, but its pathogenicity remains to be demonstrated.