title: Differences in virulence markers between Helicobacter pylori strains from the Brazilian Amazon region.
abstract: This study compares virulence markers of Helicobacter pylori isolated from patients in 2 cities in the Brazilian Amazon.
  
  
  
  The study analyzed 168 patients with chronic gastritis from Belém and 151 from Bragança, State of Pará, Brazil. Levels of bacterial DNA associated with cagA and vacA alleles were checked by PCR, and hematoxylin-eosin staining was used for histologic diagnosis.
  
  
  
  In Bragança 87% of patients were genotype s1m1 cagA-positive (s1m1 cagA+), compared with 76% in Belém. In samples from patients in both cities, there was an association between s1m1 cagA+ strains and gastric mucosal damage.
  
  
  
  Both cities have a high frequency of s1m1 cagA+ strains of H. pylori.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Gastroenterologia, Hospital Santo Antonio Maria Zaccaria, Bragança, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mário Ribeiro da
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Ruth Maria Dias Ferreira
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Vinagre
authors.forename: Adenielson Vilar e
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Claudia Suellen Ferro de
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Kemper Nunes do
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Renata Aparecida Andrade da
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Amanda Alves
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fecury
authors.forename: Tereza Cristina de Oliveira
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Corvelo
authors.forename: Juarez Antônio Simões
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Quaresma
authors.forename: Luisa Caricio
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Martins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001938:Brazil; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005838:Genotype; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; D037521:Virulence Factors; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori