Helicobacter Forums

Previous history of H.pylori 1988.
Present history of Midgut NETS 2020.
Question.
Question Re: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

If this infection can sit in the stomach and the first part of the duodenum undetected for many years, with the serious consequence of cancer at the initial sites of infection, why can we not attribute the same bacterial infection to late onset Neuroendocrine tumours of the mid gut, the jejunum?

. Could H. pylori not be the rascal that triggers NETS later on in life?

. Have researchers looked at the NETS under the microscope to see if the H.pylori is present in these glands?

. Could NETS be caused by a viral infection which lies dormant as with H. pylori?

OK, Neuro Endocrine Tumours of the G.I. tract are the issue here. Some genetic causes are known (MEN etc.) but usually the actual cause is not exactly known. They tend to be low grade malignancy so can be removed (if only one) but hard to cure if they spread. I have seen only a couple of cases in my life. I saw that an association with peptic ulcer has been reported but it's a "chicken or egg" question.
Certainly H.pylori triggers stem cells to migrate into the gastric mucosa, and stem cells can then be subjected to carcinogens in the diet, also to inflammation (free radicals), so there is a possible mechanism whereby NETS could be triggered from a stem cell mutation. So it may be a very rare effect of a common (H.pylori) disease.
So my recommendation is to search for Helicobacter and get rid of it. This means serology falling and urea breath tests and/or biopsies being negative.
As for MIDGUT NETS, the same thing applies but you know that H.pylori is hardly ever in that location so less likely a cause.
As for a viral cause? Certainly. I think slow or hibernating viruses are a possibility. With all these things you need to know exactly what you are looking for (so you have a DNA/PCR probe) otherwise you won't find it.
My life plan is (starting now) to continually survey children for viruses from cradle (now) to grave (100 years later) and see what viral sequences turn up. At least save a bank of samples, and some people in the world are already doing this. These can be probed retrospectively later if a person gets a rare disease like NETS. Who knows what will turn up.
There are two causes of disease: 1=Congenital/genetic 2=Environmental/infectious/toxicities
Seems simple but technology will solve.