title: Correlation of the Helicobacter pylori adherence factor BabA with duodenal ulcer disease in four European countries.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori strains harboring the vacAs1, cagA and babA2 have been associated with ulcer disease (UD). We compared the prevalence of these different genotypes and adhesive properties in H. pylori infected patients with UD in four European countries. Genomic DNA was isolated from 314 H. pylori strains: Germany (GER; n=92), Sweden (SWE, n=74), Portugal (POR, n=91) and Finland (FIN, n=57). The frequencies of babA2 genotype varied from 35% to 60%. Triple-positive strains (vacAs1+, cagA+ and babA2+) were significantly associated with UD in GER and POR and were closely correlated with UD in FIN, but not in SWE. Classification as triple-positive strains had a higher specificity for detection of UD in GER, POR and FIN than type1 or cagA+ strains. In vitro adhesion assays revealed that Swedish strains showed high adhesion properties and were thus correlated with the diagnosis of UD, although PCR detected the babA2 gene at lower frequencies and failed to show a correlation with UD. This finding appears to reflect allelic variations of the babA2 gene in SWE, although adhesive properties of the strains are retained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Farzad O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Olfat
authors.forename: Quing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oleastro
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Voland
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Borén
authors.forename: Riita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karttunen
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Engstrand
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rad
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prinz
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerhard
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; C400429:BabA protein, Helicobacter pylori; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori