The Question of Difference in cagA and vacA Subtypes of Helicobacter pylori among Chronic Gastritis, Duodenal Ulcer, and Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Kim, Jin Il; Kim, Sung Soo; Park, Soo Heon; Han, Joon Yeol; Kim, Jae Kwang; Han, Sok Won; Choi, Kyu Young; Chung, In Sik; Chung, Kyu Won; Sun, Hee Sik

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Approximately 80% of Korean adults are infected with Helicobacter pylori. Although H. pylori is associated with the chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric adenocarcinoma, only a small number of infected patients develop these conditions. Therefore, there may be more virulent disease-specific subtypes of H. pylori in patients with gastroduodenal disease. To investigate the disease- specific subtypes of cagA and vacA in Korea, evaluation was made on these subtypes of H. pylori.
METHODS
Twenty two patients with chronic gastritis, 21 patients with duodenal ulcer, and 23 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were examined. All patients underwent endoscopic biopsy. H. pylori was cultured and genomic DNA was extracted. PCR- based cagA and vacA were subtyped and vacuolating cytotoxin was assayed using HeLa cells.
RESULTS
The presence of cagA was observed in 95.5%, 100%, and 95.7%, the vacA s1a subtype was detected in 100%, 90.5%, and 95.7%, the vacA m1b subtype was detected in 95.5%, 90.5%, and 95.7% in chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcer, and gastric adenocarcinoma, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The H. pylori with cagA and subtype s1a/m1b vacA gene was predominant regardless of the type of gastroduodenal disease. There were no difference in the cagA and vacA subtypes of H. pylori among the chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcer, and gastric adenocarcinoma in Korea.