Helicobacter Pylori: Revisiting the Role of Host Genetics in Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases continue to be the leading reason of mortality across the globe.It has been put forward recently that host factors plays a key role in disease pathogenesis apart from the contributing pathogens. Helicobacter pylori is the major cause of inflammatory gastroduodenal and neoplastic diseases in human stomach. The deadly gastric pathogen infects more than half the world population and is of major concern especially in developing country like India. In this article we have briefly reviewed the different virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori and analyzed the role of host genetics in susceptibility to infectious diseases, considering Helicobacter pylori as an organism of major focus.