RESUMO
Helicobacter pylori are a bacterial pathogen evolved to chronically colonize the gastric epithelium and causes gastritis, peptic ulcers, and even gastric malignancies in few infected humans. More recently, a pathogenicity island has been identified within the H. pylori genome that contains a cluster of genes, including cagE. The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of cagE genotypes of H. pylori isolates from patients with NUD[Non Ulcer Dyspepsia], peptic ulcer and cancer. 150 Gastric biopsy specimens obtained from patients were inoculated onto a Brucella Columbia Agar containing 5% sheep for 3 to 5 days at 37°C under micro aerobic conditions [5% O2, 5% CO2, and 90% N2]. After DNA extraction, genotyping of the cagE gene was performed by PCR amplification using the primers. PCR products were separated by 1% agarose gel electrophoresis and examined under UV illumination. Of 92 positive cultures, 34, 28, 20, and 10 isolations were obtained from patients with NUD, duodenal ulcers [DU], gastric ulcers [GU] and gastric cancer [GC], respectively. The frequency of cagE gene was 88/24%, 100%, 85%, 100% and within isolates of patients with NUD, DU, GU and GC, respectively. The presence of cagE in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection is not a marker for predicting or diagnosing the resultant diseases