Gastric urea
The urea test is to check the stomach for the presence of Helicobacter pylori (Hp). Urease in gastric juice is a bacterial metabolite, not inherent to the gastric mucosa itself. Helicobacter pylori is the only bacterium that produces large amounts of urea in the human stomach. Hp lipopolysaccharide, urease, vacuolar toxin and adhesin have been found to be important colonizing pathogenic factors, and Hp extracts can cause DNA damage in gastric mucosal cells. Recent studies have shown that various pH values in the stomach do not affect Hp infection, and can still settle and survive at pH <3, indicating that Hp can settle in gastric high acid environment due to urease activity.
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