Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) was first identified as Campylobacter pyloridis in 1982 by Robin Warren and Barry Marshall, whick brought them the 2005 Nobel Prize. Since then, it has been understood that H. pylori infection is the main cause of gastritis and peptic ulcer. In addition, studies have shown that H. pylori infection may predispose to the developtment of MALT lymphoma and gastric cancer. This effect is stronger when the infection during occurs childhood. WHO (the World Health Organization) has recently classified H. pylori as a type I human carcinogen. It is estimated that about half of the world's population is infected by H. pylori. The eradication therapy does not reach the 100% cure rate because of the development of resistance to antibiotics, although many antimicrobials are used for the treatment of H. pylori infection. The involvement of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of extragastric diseases has been reported recently, although most research was done about peptic ulcer disease.

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori, çocukluk çağı, childhood