The nucleic acids of the helical and coccoid forms of Helicobacter pylori were studied to determine if the coccoid forms are "viable (capable of growing) but nonculturable." Using a reference strain (NCTC 11638) and five clinical strains, the nucleic acid contents, DNA integrity, and results of PCR and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) were compared for helical H. pylori and coccoid forms indu...

Helicobacter pylori infection affects human populations of all ages. This gastric bacterium exists in spiral form and the reported viable but nonculturable coccoid form. The present study aims to examine the probable role of the coccoid form in H. pylori infection by comparing the seroprevalences of the spiral and the coccoid forms in children with epigastric pain. Four hundred eighty-nine chil...

Ovaries ofPalaeococcus fuscipennis (Burmeister) are accompanied by large organs termed bacteriomes which are composed of large cells termed bacteriocytes. Each bacteriocyte is surrounded with small epithelial cells. The bacteriocyte cytoplasm is tightly packed with pleomorphic bacteria, whereas in epithelial cells small coccoid microorganisms are present. The number of coccoid bacteria is signi...

The effect of coccoid forms of a vaculating cytotoxin A positive Helicobacter pylori strain on Mus musculus (Swiss mice) and Rattus norvegicus (Albino rats) was studied. Two groups of Swiss mice and Albino rats were used. The first group of mice and rats was orally inoculated with coccoid forms of Helicobacter pylori, whereas, the second group of mice and rats were untreated and used as a contr...

Bile-tolerant Helicobacter spp. are emerging human and animal pathogens. However, due to their fastidious nature, which requires nutrient-rich complex media to grow, infection with these bacteria may be underestimated. The accumulation of toxic metabolites in cultures may be one of the main obstacles for successful culture of these organisms. The present study examined various potential growth-...

After characterization of preferred conditions for Helicobacter pylori survival in the sessile state, it was observed that the bacterium transforms from spiral to coccoid under mild circumstances, whereas under extreme ones it is unable to undergo shape modification. This strongly supports the view that transformation into the coccoid form is an active, biologically led process, switched on by ...

Variably acid-fast coccoid forms, suggestive of cell wall deficient forms of mycobacteria, were observed in the dermis in microscopic sections of skin from six patients with generalized scleroderma, 10 patients with localized scleroderma (morphea), and four patients with lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA). These coccoid forms were found within the collagen bundles, around the adnexae (hair sh...

conclusions: despite the good in vitro bactericidal effect of amoxicillin on spiral forms of h. pylori, this antibiotic has little effect on induced coccoids that may develop after the inappropriate in vivo antibacterial treatment. hence, for successful therapy, it is essential not only to eradicate the spiral forms, but to eliminate the viable coccoids. background: helicobacter pylori (h. pylo...

Helicobacter pylori may reside in the human stomach as two morphological forms: the culturable spiral form and the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) coccoid form. This bacterium transforms from spiral to coccoid under in vitro suboptimal conditions. However, both spiral and coccoid have demonstrated its infectivity in laboratory animals, suggesting that coccoid may potentially be involved in the...