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Involvement of the Helicobacter pylori plasticity region and cag pathogenicity island genes in the development of gastroduodenal diseases

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Abstract

Infection by Helicobacter pylori is associated with the development of several gastroduodenal diseases, including gastritis, peptic ulcer disease (gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers), and gastric adenocarcinoma. Although a number of putative virulence factors have been reported for H. pylori, there are conflicting results regarding their association with specific H. pylori-related diseases. In this work, we investigated the presence of virB11 and cagT, located in the left half of the cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI), and the jhp917–jhp918 sequences, components of the dupA gene located in the plasticity zone of H. pylori, in Brazilian isolates of H. pylori. We also examined the association between these genes and H. pylori-related gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric and duodenal ulcers in an attempt to identify a gene marker for clinical outcomes related to infection by H. pylori. The cagT gene was associated with peptic ulcer disease and gastric ulcers, whereas the virB11 gene was detected in nearly all of the samples. The dupA gene was not associated with duodenal ulcers or any gastroduodenal disease here analyzed. These results suggest that cagT could be a useful prognostic marker for the development of peptic ulcer disease in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. They also indicate that cagT is associated with greater virulence and peptic ulceration, and that this gene is an essential component of the type IV secretion system of H. pylori.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, grant no. 03/00501-8) and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, grant no. 48.0189/00-5) for their financial support. During the course of this work, J.L. Proença-Módena was supported by a fellowship from the CNPq and A.R. Pacheco was supported by a fellowship from the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, CEP 13083-862, Campinas, SP, Brazil

    A. R. Pacheco, W. D. da Silveira & M. Brocchi

  2. Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), CEP 14090-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    J. L. Proença-Módena & A. I. L. Sales

  3. Departamento de Cirurgia e Anatomia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), CEP 14090-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    J. L. Pimenta-Módena

  4. Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), CEP 14090-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Y. Fukuhara & R. B. de Oliveira

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  1. A. R. Pacheco
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  2. J. L. Proença-Módena
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  3. A. I. L. Sales
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  4. Y. Fukuhara
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  5. W. D. da Silveira
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  6. J. L. Pimenta-Módena
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  7. R. B. de Oliveira
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  8. M. Brocchi
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Correspondence to M. Brocchi.

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Pacheco, A.R., Proença-Módena, J.L., Sales, A.I.L. et al. Involvement of the Helicobacter pylori plasticity region and cag pathogenicity island genes in the development of gastroduodenal diseases. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 27, 1053–1059 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-008-0549-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-008-0549-8

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