Relationship between Helicobacter pylori vacA genotypes status and risk of peptic ulcer in Saudi patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if there is a significant correlation between different Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) vacA genotypes strains and severe gastric clinical outcomes.


METHODS
A total of 1104 gastric biopsies from 368 patients who presented with symptoms suggestive of chronic gastritis or peptic ulcer were taken from the main hospitals in the western region of Saudi Arabia from July 2004 to July 2005. These samples were cultured for H. pylori, and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out to determine vacA genotypes status.


RESULTS
One hundred and three (28%) patients were positive for H. pylori using culture technique. The distribution of vacA genotypes was 13 for vacAs1m1, 47 for vacAs1m2 and 43 for vacAs2m2. None of the clinical isolates were vacAs2m1 positive. The study showed a significant correlation between the vacAs1m2 genotype and gastritis cases, and a significant correlation between vacAs1m1 genotype and ulcer cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study might be used for the identification of high-risk patients who are infected by vacAs1m1 genotype H. pylori strains.
Momenah
Aiman M
AM
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Umm Al-Qura, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Tayeb
Mohammed T
MT
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005838:Genotype; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori