Relation of bab A2 genotype of Helicobacter pylori infection with chronic active gastritis, duodenal ulcer and non-cardia active gastritis in Alzahra hospital Isfahan, Iran

Introduction and objective: Bacterial virulence factors are important in determining disease outcome. The initial stage of colonization is binding of Helicobacter pylori to one of the gastric epithelial cells surface receptors, the Lewis b blood group antigen binding adhesion, babA. Heterogeneity among H. pylori strains in presence and expressing the babA gene may be a factor in the variation of clinical outcomes among H. pylori-infected people. We investigated the presence of babA in clinical H. pylori isolates and their correlation with different diseases in Iran.

Materials and methods: In the present study 81 positive culture samples out of 177 biopsies examined for the presence or absence of babA gene which were detected by PCR method. DNA extracted from 81 Helicobacter positive specimens, 44 chronic active gastritis, and 27 duodenal and 10 non-cardia gastric cancers.

Results: We had 58(71.6%) positive samples for babA and 23 samples were negative (28.4%) by PCR method. Relative frequency of babA genotype of H. pylori isolated from gastric biopsies of patients with chronic active gastritis duodenal ulcer, and non-cardia gastric cancer were 68.2%, 74.1% and 80%, respectively.

Conclusion: In our study, there was not significant correlation between the babA genotype and chronic active gastritis and duodenal ulcer (P=0.673) but significant correlation with non-cardia gastric cancer (P<0.001). Our results showed that the prevalence of babA genotype corresponds with the report from Asian countries but not with European and Latin America results.