Helicobacter pylori (HP) infections affect approximately one-third of children worldwide. In China, the incidence of HP infection in children ranges from approximately 30% to 60%. In addition to damaging the gastrointestinal tract mucosa, HP infection in children can negatively affect their growth and development, hematology, respiratory and hepatobiliary system, skin, nutritional metabolism, and autoimmune system. However, the rate of HP eradication also fell considerably from the previous rate due to the presence of drug-resistant HP strains and the limited types of antibiotics that can be used in young patients. Vitamin D3 (VitD3) is a steroid hormone that can reduce inflammation in the stomach mucosa induced by HP and can alleviate and eradicate HP through a variety of pathways and mechanisms, including immune regulation and the stimulation of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) secretion and Ca2+ influx, to reestablish lysosomal acidification; thus, these results provide new strategies and ideas for the eradication of drug-resistant HP strains.
Keywords: AMPs; Ca2+ channels; Helicobacter pylori; immune response; vitamin D3.
© 2024 Ma et al.