[Genotypying of clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori by cagA, vacA and babA2 virulence associated genes. First detection of a babA2 positive strain in Chilean patients].
BACKGROUND
Helicobacter pylori-associated gastroduodenal diseases depends on host characteristics, environmental conditions and bacterial virulence factors, such as cagA, vacA y babA2 gene products. Moreover, peptic ulcer disease has been related with cagA+, vacAs1m1 strains, while metaplasia and gastric cancer has been associated to cagA+, vacAs1 and babA2+ H pylori strains. Gene babA2 has not yet been described in clinical isolates from Chilean patients.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the presence of cagA, vacA (s and m) and babA2 genes in clinical isolates of H pylori from Chilean patients.


METHODS
Sixty six isolates from 41 patients were genotyped by PCR, using primers for s1a, s1b, s2, m1, m2, cagA and babA2 genes as previously described.


RESULTS
cagA gene was detected in 16 isolates (24.2%) while vacAs1a, vacAs1b, vacAs2, vacAm1 and vacAm2 were detected in 28 (42.4%), 14 (21.2%), 17 (25.8%), 21 (31.8%) and 29 isolates (43.9%), respectively. One isolate (1.5%) was babA2 positive, being the first isolate with this genotype described in Chile. Besides the babA2+ genotype this clinical isolate also presented cagA+ and vacAs1a which has been related with metaplasia or gastric cancer. Five isolates showed an ulcerogenic profile cagA+, vacAs1m1.


CONCLUSIONS
The results presented indicate the prevalence of vacAs1m1 genotype among the clinical isolates analyzed, and a low frequency of babA2 genotype.
García
Apolinaria
A
Laboratorio de Patogenicidad Bacteriana, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile. apgarcia@udec.cl
Barra
Ricardo
R
Delgado
Carolina
C
Kawaguchi
Fernando
F
Trabal
Natalia
N
Montenegro
Sonia
S
González
Carlos
C
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D001706:Biopsy; D002677:Chile; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005838:Genotype; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; C400429:BabA protein, Helicobacter pylori; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005819:Genetic Markers; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori