title: Analysis of Helicobacter pylori vacA gene and serum antibodies to VacA in Japan.
abstract: Vacuolating cytotoxin, VacA, is one of the most important pathogenetic factors produced by Helicobacter pylori. However, it is not clear whether the diversity in disease outcome may be ascribed to variations in strain and/or to the host responses to virulence factors. In this study, we analyzed the vacA middle region sequence among 65 Japanese isolates to clarify the variation in strain and assayed antibody titer to VacA by ELISA using purified VacA to evaluate the host response to cytotoxin. The nucleotide sequence identities compared among Japanese isolates were 92.8 +/- 3.56%, and compared to 88.3 +/- 2.89% in tox+ strains reported in GenBank. Positive correlation was found between the antibody titers and the severity of atrophic change of the stomach. In Japan the nucleotide sequences of the vacA middle region were highly homologous and genetically closer to tox+ strains. Antibody titers and host response to cytotoxin may be associated with atrophy of the stomach.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shirasaka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aoyama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satonaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirakawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikemura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shinoda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakashita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yahiro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurazono
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasuga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005838:Genotype; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori