The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 48, Issue 4 401-405, Copyright © 1999 by Society for General Microbiology
An unusual helical micro-organism found in the gut lumen of human subjects
A. J. Collins, L. J. Notarianni and U. J. Potter
Department of Pharmacology, University of Bath, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Somerset.
An earlier report described the discovery of a micro-organism in the form
of a double helix in human small bowel biopsies. Mucosal biopsies of the
stomach and small bowel obtained from patients with rheumatic diseases and
dyspepsia by enteroscopy and gastroscopy were fixed for scanning electron
microscopy to investigate the organism further. In 62% of biopsies, an
organism in the form of a double helix with bifid ends, 5-30 microm long,
was found lying free on the surface of the mucosa. The organism has been
demonstrated in the stomach, duodenum and small bowel. Flagella were never
seen to be associated with the organism. In spite of its helical form, the
organism lacks many of the factors associated with spirochaete morphology.
It is suggested that this, as yet unnamed organism, may be found throughout
the length of the digestive tract. Its pathological significance is not
known.
