Introduction: Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with the development of several gastroduodenal diseases. Bacterial virulence genes have been found associated with an increased risk for gastric disease.
Objectives: Herein, associations were made between the presence of vacA, cagA, cagE, babA2 and oipA genes in H. pylori isolates and the range of clinical consequences of the infection.
Methods: PCR was used to amplify vacA, cagA, cagE, babA2 and oipA genes in 166 isolates-50 patients with peptic ulcer, 39 with non-atrophic gastritis, 26 with atrophic gastritis, 26 with intestinal metaplasia and 25 with gastric adenocarcinoma.
Results: cagA, cagE, babA2 and oipA genes were found in 73%, 75%, 48% and 74% of isolates, respectively. The cytotoxic vacA s1m1/cagA positive/cage positive genotype was present in 64% (100/157) of isolates. A higher frequency of cytotoxic strains was observed in cancer patients (84%), intestinal metaplasia (91%) and peptic ulcer (81%) in comparison with gastritis patients (50%) (p=0.002, 0.008, 0.007, respectively). The oipA and babA2 frequency was higher in cytotoxic isolates than in non-cytotoxic isolates (oipA: 81% vs. 52%, P=0,003; babA2: 58% vs. 12% (p<0.001). No significant association was found among clinical outcomes and oipA or babA2 genotypes, analyzed alone or in combination with vacA and cagA.
Conclusion: Therefore, babA2 or oipA genes are not marker indicators of ulcer or cancer.