title: Virulence genes of Helicobacter pylori in the Dominican Republic.
abstract: Although the incidence of gastric cancer in the Dominican Republic is not high, the disease remains a significant health problem. We first conducted a detailed analysis of Helicobacter pylori status in the Dominican Republic. In total, 158 patients (103 females and 55 males; mean age 47.1±16.2 years) were recruited. The status of H. pylori infection was determined based on four tests: rapid urease test, culture test, histological test and immunohistochemistry. The status of cagA and vacA genotypes in H. pylori was examined using PCR and gene sequencing. The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was 58.9 %. No relationship was found between the H. pylori infection rate and the age range of 17-91 years. Even in the youngest group (patients aged <29 years), the H. pylori infection rate was 62.5 %. Peptic ulcer was found in 23 patients and gastric cancer was found in one patient. The H. pylori infection rate in patients with peptic ulcer was significantly higher than that in patients with gastritis (82.6 versus 54.5 %, P<0.01). The cagA-positive/vacA s1m1 genotype was the most prevalent (43/64, 67.2 %). Compared with H. pylori-negative patients, H. pylori-positive patients showed more severe gastritis. Furthermore, the presence of cagA was related to the presence of more severe gastritis. All CagA-positive strains had Western-type CagA. In conclusion, we found that H. pylori infection is a risk factor for peptic ulcer in the Dominican Republic. Patients with cagA-positive H. pylori could be at higher risk for severe inflammation and atrophy.
authors: Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Japan.
authors: Seiji
authors: S
authors: Shiota
authors: Department of Biomedical Research, School of Medicine, Santiago Technological University, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.|Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Department of Science, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
authors: Modesto
authors: M
authors: Cruz
authors: Dominican-Japanese Digestive Disease Center, Dr Luis E. Aybar Health and Hygiene City, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
authors: José A Jiménez
authors: JAJ
authors: Abreu
authors: Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Japan.
authors: Takahiro
authors: T
authors: Mitsui
authors: Health Science Center, Oita University, Yufu 870-1192, Japan.
authors: Hideo
authors: H
authors: Terao
authors: Dominican-Japanese Friendship Medical Education Center, Dr Luis E. Aybar Health and Hygiene City, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
authors: Mildre
authors: M
authors: Disla
authors: Department of Medicine-Gastroenterology, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.|Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Japan.
authors: Shun
authors: S
authors: Iwatani
authors: Department of Medicine-Gastroenterology, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.|Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Japan.
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Nagashima
authors: Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Japan.
authors: Miyuki
authors: M
authors: Matsuda
authors: Department of Molecular Pathology, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Japan.
authors: Tomohisa
authors: T
authors: Uchida
authors: Dominican-Japanese Digestive Disease Center, Dr Luis E. Aybar Health and Hygiene City, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
authors: Lourdes
authors: L
authors: Tronilo
authors: Dominican-Japanese Digestive Disease Center, Dr Luis E. Aybar Health and Hygiene City, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
authors: Eduardo
authors: E
authors: Rodríguez
authors: Department of Medicine-Gastroenterology, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.|Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Japan.
authors: Yoshio
authors: Y
authors: Yamaoka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004293:Dominican Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; D037521:Virulence Factors; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori