The explosion of information on Helicobacter pylori-related disease, both in the basic sciences and in clinical medicine, has continued to progress at an unprecedented pace. In many instances H. pylori infection, both in man and in the laboratory animal, has become a model to investigate fundamental biological issues such as micro-organism host interactions, intracellular signalling, development of mucosal atrophy, mechanism of microbial resistance, disease modifying factors etc. In view of this bewildering flood of information, another meeting on H. pylori in the successful series "Basic mechanisms to clinical cure" was organized in January 1998 in San Diego, California, to define the "state-of-affairs" in H. pylori research at this time. The main objective was to integrate this information in a series of presentations and discussions between investigators and clinicians addressing all aspects of H. pylori research and to review the current position and future research directions. The format included presentations by world experts heavily involved in H. pylori research followed by in-depth discussion on intriguing or controversial issues. The presentations were grouped according to the leading theme: characteristics of the organism, mode of transmission, mechanisms of H. pylori-induced inflammation, causation of disturbances of gastric secretory and motor function, aspects of clinical presentation and management, problems related to H. pylori-associated gastric adenocarcinoma and MALT-lymphoma, novel aspects of antimicrobial therapy and vaccination. The chapters published in these proceedings accurately reflect the content of the presentations. These proceedings are testimony to the impact on basic science and clinical medicine of the H. pylori discovery.