Relationship between fecal Helicobacter infection and gastric lesions in slaughtered pigs

The authors have collected fecal and gastric samples from 110 pigs originat ing from 27 farms and a further 116 fecal samples from six additional farms . Fifty-eight pigs were selected randomly, whereas 52 pigs were chosen on t he basis of the presence of gross lesions (catarrh, parakeratosis, ulcer). Samples for histological examination were collected from the oesophageal, c ardiac, fundic and pyloric regions. The paraffin-embedded samples were sect ioned and stained with hemalaun-eosin and subsequently examined for the pre sence of inflammation. parakeratosis or ulceration. Some sections were also stained with the Warthin-Starry method and there were structures similar t o Helicobacter suis found on the mucosal surface and in the foveolae (Figur e 3. and 4.). Of the 110 stomachs examined, 67 had gross lesions. Of the 82 stomach samples examined histologically, all sections showed some form of mucosal lesion [inflammation (Figure 1.), parakeratosis, ulcer (Figure 2.)] . The HpSA-ELISA-test, capable of detecting the somatic antigen of H. pylor i even from disintegrated bacteria, was positive in all cases tested (Table 1.). This is likely to be due to the presence of bacteria that are antigen ically related to N. pylori, or other, as yet unidentified Helicobacter spe cies. Further histological studies are necessary to clarify the pathologica l significance of Helicobacter infection in swine.