title: Detection of cagA and vacA genotypes of Helicobacter pylori isolates from a university hospital in Ankara region, Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The cagA and vacA profiles and their association with clinical findings show a distinct geographical distribution. In the present study, we aimed to determine the cagA status and vacA allelic subtypes in strains isolated from a university hospital in Ankara and to evaluate their associations with histopathological and endoscopic findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 120 H. pylori strains from stock cultures positive for the ureA gene were randomly included in the present study. Of these strains, cagA and vacA allelic subtypes (s1a, s1b, s2, m1, m2) were examined by polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 120 strains, 64 (53.3%) were cagA-positive. However, no significant relationship was found between clinical outcomes and cagA positivity. There were 38 (33.6%) strains that had vacA m1 and 74 (65.5%) that had vacA m2 region. Overall, 75 (70.1%) samples were classified as vacA sla, 3 (2.8%) as vacA slb, and 29 (27.1%) as vacA s2. There was no significant relationship between vacA genotypes and endoscopic findings. The predominant vacA genotypes were slam2 (35.6%) and slam1 (33.6%), with almost the same rates. Furthermore, cagA positivity was found to be significantly related with the vacA slam1 genotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cagA and vacA profiles of our study population are consistent with the Middle Eastern profile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. cerenozkul@hacettepe.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ceren
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Erdoğdu
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Saribaş
authors.forename: Yakut
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akyön Yilmaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D005838:Genotype; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori