title: The relationship between Helicobacter pylori genes cagE and virB11 and gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between Helicobacter pylori gene diversity and gastric cancer has been poorly reported, although it is one of the important ways to explain the gastric pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of cagE and virB11 genes in H. pylori isolated from patients with gastric cancer and to analyze the histology profiles.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of H. pylori and subtypes (cagE and virB11) was detected by PCR from the genomic DNA of 101 patients who had been diagnosed with gastric cancer. The cases were grouped according to the presence/absence of the genes studied and were analyzed in relation to histopathological parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  H. pylori infection was detected in 94 out of 101 (93.1%) gastric carcinomas. The cases were categorized into the following groups: cagE+/virB11+, cagE+/virB11-, cagE-/virB11+, and cagE-/virB11-. Frequencies were: 50% (47/94) cagE+/virB11+, 3.2% (3/94) cagE+/virB11-, 10.6% (10/94) cagE-/virB11+, and 36.2% (34/94) cagE-/virB11-. Tumors in the gastric antrum were predominant. An exception was the cagE-/virB11- group, in which tumors had a tendency to be located in the gastric cardia; the majority of the cardia tumors (56% (14/25)) were in this group. Intestinal histology type was the most frequent, but the cagE+/virB11- group only had diffuse tumors. H. pyloricagE+/virB11+ occurred most frequently (except at stage III), and was present at all gastric cancer stages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to include a relevant number of gastric cancer cases with H. pylori infection, reporting the frequency and relationship of cagE and virB11 genes and the genesis of this tumor. The presence of these cag pathogenicity island genes shows that they are important factors for the pathogenesis and malignancy of gastric cancer related to H. pylori.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Porangabussu Campus, Alexander Baraúna Street, 949, Fortaleza, Ceará 60183-630, Brazil. valeskacb@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Valeska Portela
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Marcos Antonio Pereira
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Márcia Valéria Pitombeira
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Marcos Aurélio Pessoa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Sílvia Helena Barem
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Rabenhorst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C103937:PicB protein, Helicobacter pylori