Conservation of the cag pathogenicity island is associated with vacA alleles and gastroduodenal disease in South African Helicobacter pylori isolates.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The development of clinically significant disease in South Africa is associated with the vacuolating cytotoxin gene (vacA) s1 genotype but not with the presence of the cytotoxin associated gene cagA. cagA occurs in >95% of South African isolates and is a variable marker for the entire cag pathogenicity island (PAI).

Aim

To characterise the cagPAI in South African isolates and to investigate if structural variants of this multigene locus were associated with variations in vacA status and clinical outcome.

Patients and methods

We studied 109 Helicobacter pylori strains (36 from patients with peptic ulceration, 26 with gastric adenocarcinoma, and 47 with no pathology other than gastritis) for differences in selected genes of the cagPAI and alleles of vacA by p

SUBMITTER: Kidd M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1728366 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature