In the rapidly evolving field of Helicobacter infection new data on pathogenetic and pathophysiological mechanism have appeared. New methods which will be more sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of the infection are being developed and in this proceedings the first attempt using PCR technology is published. From the clinical point of view, a challenging aspect that needs clarification, is the observation which suggests an appearance of a correlation between the presence of the bacteria and abdominal pain and other symptoms in children whereas in old age no such correlation is evident....