Bacteria and Diseases of Unknown Cause
Authors: Martin J. Blaser
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1994)

Editorials15 July 1994Bacteria and Diseases of Unknown CauseMartin J. Blaser, MDMartin J. Blaser, MDVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-2605Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-121-2-199407150-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail In recent years, many diseases for which the cause was unknown have been shown to be due to bacteria. These include Legionnaire disease (Legionella species) [1], cat scratch disease (Rochalimaea species) [2], the hemolytic-uremic syndrome (Escherichia coli strains, such as O157:H7, producing Shiga-like toxins) [3], peptic ulcer disease (Helicobacter pylori) [4], and a form of chronic arthritis resembling rheumatoid arthritis (Borrelia burgdorferi) [5], among others. Physicians had thought that these disorders were caused by autoimmune phenomena (the hemolytic-uremic syndrome, for example), metabolic processes (peptic ulceration), or viruses [cat scratch disease], and it is instructive to consider why recognition of bacterial ...References1. McDade JE, Shepard CC, Fraser DW, Tsai TR, Redus MA, Dowdle WR. Legionnaires' disease: isolation of a bacterium and demonstration of its role in other respiratory disease. N Engl J Med. 1977; 297:1197-203. Google Scholar2. Zangwill KM, Hamilton DH, Perkins BA, Regnery RL, Plikaytis BD, Hadler JL, et al. Cat scratch disease in Connecticut. Epidemiology, risk factors, and evaluation of a new diagnostic test. N Engl J Med. 1993; 329:8-13. Google Scholar3. Griffin PM, Tauxe RV. The epidemiology of infections caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7, other enterohemorrhagic E. coli, and the associated hemolytic uremic syndrome. Epidemiol Rev. 1991; 13:60-98. Google Scholar4. Blaser MJ. 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N Engl J Med. 1992; 327:293-301. Google Scholar16. Relman DA, Loutit JS, Schmidt TM, Falkow S, Tompkins LS. The agent of bacillary angiomatosis. An approach to the identification of uncultured pathogens. N Engl J Med. 1990; 323:1573-80. Google Scholar17. Welton JC, Marr JS, Friedman SM. Association between hepatobiliary cancer and typhoid carrier state. Lancet. 1979; 1:792-4. Google Scholar18. Fitzgerald RH Jr, Brewer NS, Dahlin DC. Squamous-cell carcinoma complicating chronic osteomyelitis. J Bone Joint Surg (Am). 1976; 58:1146-8. Google Scholar19. Nomura A, Stemmerman GN, Chyou PH, Kato I, Perez-Perez GI, Blaser MJ. Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric carcinoma among Japanese-Americans in Hawaii. N Engl J Med. 1991; 325:1132-6. Google Scholar20. Wotherspoon AC, Doglioni C, Diss TC, Pan L, Moschini A, de Boni M, et al. Regression of primary low-grade B-cell gastric lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type after eradication of Helicobacter pylori. Lancet. 1993; 342:575-7. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-2605Corresponding Author: Martin J. Blaser, MD, Division of Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, A-3310 Medical Center North, Nashville, TN 37232-2605. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoHelicobacter cinaedi–Associated Bacteremia and Cellulitis in Immunocompromised Patients Julia A. Kiehlbauch , Robert V. Tauxe , Carolyn N. Baker , and I. Kaye Wachsmuth Metrics Cited byThe Potential Role of Infectious Agents in Diseases of Unknown EtiologyIntroduction to Bacteria and Bacterial DiseasesThe potential role of infectious agents in diseases of unknown etiologyIntroduction to Bacteria and Bacterial DiseasesHelicobacters and biliary tract diseaseMicrobial Causation of the Chronic Idiopathic Inflammatory Bowel DiseasesHelicobacter pyloriSeasonal Change in the Exacerbations of Crohn's DiseaseCampylobacter jejuni Infection and the Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Mechanisms and ImplicationsThe Risks of Lifestyle and the Diseases of Civilisation 15 July 1994Volume 121, Issue 2Page: 144-145KeywordsBacteriaBacterial diseasesGastritisLegionellaLegionellosisMetabolic disordersPeptic ulcersRheumatoid arthritisToxinsUlcerative colitis Issue Published: 15 July 1994 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1994 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...