Autoimmune gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection: how do these diseases relate to each other?

The article discusses the relationship between autoimmune gastritis and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. The prevailing point of view in the literature is that Hpylori infection can act as a trigger factor, contributing to the development and progression of autoimmune gastritis due to the phenomenon of antigen mimicry. At the same time, there are publications on the protective effect of H. pylori infection in relation to the occurrence of autoimmune gastritis and the absence of a link between these diseases. Recent data indicate that the presence of Hpylori infection in patients with autoimmune gastritis contributes to the progression of atrophic changes of the mucous membrane and an increased risk of gastric cancer, which makes it justified to carry out eradication therapy in such cases, which allows to prevent the progression of the disease and the development of complications.