title: Clinical and pathological importance of vacA allele heterogeneity and cagA status in peptic ulcer disease in patients from North Brazil.
abstract: We have examined the prevalence of gene cagA and vacA alleles in 129 patients, 69 with gastritis and 60 with peptic ulcer diseases from North Brazil and their relation with histopathological data. vacA and cagA genotype were determined by polymerase chain reaction. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used for histological diagnosis. 96.6% of the patients were colonized by Helicobacter pylori strains harboring single vacA genotype (nont-mixed infection). Among them, 11.8% had subtype s1a, 67.8% had subtype s1b, and 17% subtype s2. In regard to the middle region analysis, m1 alleles were found in 75.4% and m2 in 21.2% of patients. The cagA gene was detected in 78% patients infected with H. pylori and was associated with the s1-m1 vacA genotype. The H. pylori strains, vacA s1b m1/cagA-positive, were associated with increased risk of peptic ulcer disease and higher amounts of lymphocytic and neutrophilic infiltrates and the presence of intestinal metaplasia. These findings show that cagA and vacA genotyping may have clinical relevance in Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunogenética, Departamento de Genética, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil. lu-caricio@bol.com.br
authors.forename: Luisa Caricio
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Tereza Cristina de Oliveira
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Corvelo
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demachki
authors.forename: Marialva T F
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.forename: Mônica Baraúna
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Assumpção
authors.forename: Simone Cristina Araujo Jucá
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Vilar
authors.forename: Felipe Bonfim
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Hivana Patricia Melo
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Amanda Alves
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fecury
authors.forename: Renata Kelly Costa
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: do     Amaral
authors.forename: Sidney Emanuel Batista
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Dos         Santos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001938:Brazil; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005838:Genotype; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori