Abstract

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium broadly distributed in the world, colonizing nearly 50% of the human population. Its niche is the human stomach, where it is able to generate several gastric pathologies. A numbers of studies have detected Candida sp. together with H. pylori in the stomach, condition which could increase the severity of the gastric damage. Nevertheless, the association between these two microorganisms is closer because it has been reported that H. pylori can be found active within vacuoles of yeasts belonging to genus Candida. This association is present in yeasts isolated from diverse sources including foods as well as human bodies, such as mouth and vagina of pregnant women, suggesting the presence of a novel mechanism of protection and a means of transportation which facilitates H. pylori transmission. The aim of the present work is to review the relationship between H. pylori and yeasts of the genus Candida and the role of yeasts in the persistence of H. pylori worldwide infection