Molecular fingerprinting of Helicobacter pylori strains from duodenal ulcer patients.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the molecular fingerprinting of Helicobacter pylori population isolated in duodenal ulcer patients treated with triple therapy.


RESULTS
Gastric biopsy specimens from corpus and antrum, were cultured for H. pylori isolation. Helicobacter pylori eradication was evaluated after 4 and 16 weeks. DNAs of all isolates were characterized by random amplified polymorphic DNA typing and cagA gene was also detected. After the therapy, five patients harboured the microorganism at 4 weeks and two of them remained H. pylori positive at 16 weeks. The analysis of DNA fingerprinting of strains isolated from antrum and corpus of patients susceptible to treatment, showed similar patterns. Instead, when the therapy was not effective, strains isolated from sequential biopsies from initial and after 4 and 16 weeks, showed distinct fingerprintings and retained the cagA status, over time.


CONCLUSIONS
The drugs used for therapy could exercise an effect in genotypical rearrangement among H. pylori cells.


CONCLUSIONS
The variableness among H. pylori strains represents a way to challenge environmental stress.
Cellini
L
L
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy. l.celleni@dsb.umich.it
Di Campli
E
E
Di Candia
M
M
Marzio
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D013997:Time Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori