ABSTRACT
Background: Helicobactor pylori [H. pylori] virulence markers would be useful to predict peptic ulcer disease [PUD] or gastric cancer
Aim: In Egypt, since inadequate data are present regarding H. pylori virulence-related genes in different age group patients with gastro-duodenal diseases, it becomes crucial to study the clinical status of cagA, vacA and iceA1 genotypes of H. pylori strains recovered from patients with dyspepsia
Subjects and methods: The study included 113 dyspeptic patients who were exposed to upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination. Four antral biopsies were obtained from each patient for the analysis of H. pylori infection by rapid urease test and detection of 16S rRNA
Results: Sixty [53.1%] patients were confirmed to be infected with H. pylori. Upon endoscopy, gastritis was revealed in 27 patients [45%] and10 patients [16.7%] had PUD. Of the 60 H. pylori strains, 39 [65%] had at least one virulence gene. Six different genotypic forms were recognized; vacA [9/60], iceA1 [1/60], vacA/cagA [7/60], vacA/iceA1 [13/60], vacA/cagA/iceA1 [8/60] only one of cagA/iceA type and we could not detect cagA. The overall vacA, iceA1and cagA genes identified were 61.6%, 38.8%, 26.6% respectively, by PCR-based molecular testing. The vacA gene status was highly significant related to gastritis patient [P ? 0.036]. The vacA s1m1 and s2m2 alleles were significantly found in 50% of H. pylori infected patients with PUD and with gastritis 57.1% respectively [P
Conclusion: In conclusion, the main genotype combinations in the studied Egyptian patients were; vacAs2m2/iceA1, vacAs1m1/cagA, mostly associated with gastritis, and vacAs1/cagA/icA, mainly in PUD. The less virulent [s2, s2m2] H. pylori genotypes were found in patients aged over 43 years
ABSTRACT
The cag pathogenicity island [cagPAI] is one of the major virulence determinants of Helicobacter pylori [H. pylori]. Acquiring virulent strains of H. pylori is associated with increased risk for the development of gastric ulcers or cancer. The aim of this study was to determine H. pylori cagPAI genes pattern among dyspeptic Egyptian patients and its correlation with the varying degrees of the associated chronic gastritis. Histopathological examination, urease test and polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay were performed for gastric antral biopsies obtained from 106 dyspeptic patients undergoing upper endoscopy. DNA extracts from H. pylori positive cases were analyzed for the presence of cagPAI genes cagA, cagE, cagM, tnpA, tnpB and cagT by using PCR assay. Apparently normal gastric mucosa was seen on endoscopy in 30.2% of dyspeptic patients while gastritis was diagnosed in 69.8% with significant difference [p<0.05]. H.pylori was detected in 71.7% of dyspeptic patients. A strong association was observed between H. pylori infection and gastritis patients [p<0.01]. The positivity rate of any of the cagPAI genes were 65.8% of H. pylori positive cases. Analysis of the entire cagPAI genes revealed that both cagA and cagE were the most predominant genes [30.2% , 18.4% respectively]. cagT and tnpB genes were not detected in all H. pylori positive gastric biopsies. The presence of the entire cagPAI genes was more substantiated in gastritis patients than in those with apparently normal mucosa [p<0.05]. The presence of cagA1/2, cagA3/4, cagM and cagE genes were significantly associated with moderate degree of gastritis [p<0.02], while tnpA gene was mostly detected in marked degree of gastritis [p<0.02]. In conclusion, it can be admitted that infection with virulent strain carrying cag PAI genes may be an indication of the risk of progression of gastric mucosal damage in chronic gastritis patients. In such country as Egypt where there is a high prevalence of H. pylori infection, cagPAI genotyping is important for prediction of the clinical outcome in H. pylori related gastritis aiming at eradication of infection before the progression to severe gastroduodenal diseases
ABSTRACT
Increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] has been observed in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract leading to sustained production of nitric oxide [NO] which may induce DNA damage. Since Helicobacter pylori [H. pylori] infection produces a state of chronic immunostimmulation in the gastric epithelium and a causal relationship between H. pylori CagA+ strains infection and gastric cancer has been suggested, therefore, our aim was to evaluate the significance of iNOS expression in gastric lesions induced by H. pylori CagA+ strains with correlation to the encountered endoscopic and pathological diagnoses. Eighty four dyspeptic patients underwent endoscopic examination. Four antral gastric biopsies were obtained for detection of H. pylori by histopathological assessment [Giemsa staining], urease test and gene expression of H. pylori using PCR assay. Immunohistochemical staining for iNOS expression and quantitative detection of anti-CagA antibodies were performed. It was found that H. pylori infection was detected in 64.3%, CagA seropositivity in 54.8% and iNOS expression in 61.9%. Anti-CagA antibodies seropositivity and iNOS immunoexpression were significantly related to H. pylori infection. The positive rates of iNOS immunostaining increased with the lesion progression from chronic superficial gastritis to chronic atrophic gastritis to intestinal metaplasia [45.2%, 87.5% and 92.8% respectively]. Positive immunostaining rates of iNOS correlated significantly with H.pylori Cag A seropositivity with respect to both endoscopic and pathologic diagnoses. In conclusion, CagA+ H. pylori strains are associated with enhanced immunoexpression of iNOS in H. pylori-related gastric diseases, therefore they might contribute as risk cofactors that conduces to gastric carcinogenesis. Given the high prevalence of H. pylori gastric diseases and frequent performance level of endoscopic gastric examinations among Egyptian patients, prompt identification of gastric infections caused by H. pylori harboring Cag A virulence factor is necessary for the early eradication of infection before the development of pre-neoplastic lesions
ABSTRACT
SEN virus [SENV] has been tentatively linked to transfusion-associated non A-E hepatitis. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of SENV among Egyptian patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease [CLD] and haemodialysis [HD] patients and to assess the clinical effect of SENV infection on coexistent hepatitis C either in the severity or the probability of developing hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]. Polymerase chain reaction [PCR] was used to detect SENV-D and SENV-H DNA in serum samples of 74 HCV-related CLD patients, 45 uraemic patients on maintenance HD and 28 healthy controls. SENV DNA was detected in 13.5%, 11.1%, and 7.1% of CLD, HD patients and healthy controls respectively with no significant differences between patients and control group. No statistically significant differences were demonstrated between SENV infected and non infected CLD or haemodialysis patients regarding the clinical and biochemical parameters. SENV infection was significantly higher in CLD patients with HCC [33.3%] than without [8.5%] [p<0.05]. In conclusion, SENV does not seem to be a common infection in Egyptian patients. It has no apparent influence on the severity of co-existent HCV related CLD but it could be a risk factor for developing HCC in these patients. Further studies are needed to define the aetiopathogenic role of SENV infection in HCC development