Review article: Deoxyribonucleic acid-based diagnostic techniques to detect Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori is an important cause of many gastrointestinal disorders, ranging from chronic gastritis to gastric lymphoma and adenocarcinoma. The deoxyribonucleic acid-based assays have the potential to be a powerful diagnostic tool given its ability to specifically identify H. pylori deoxyribonucleic acid. Markers used to include general H. pylori structures and pathogenetic factors like ureaseA, cagA, vacA, iceA. Deoxyribonucleic acid or bacterial ribonucleic acid for polymerase chain reaction assays can be collected from gastric biopsy, gastric juice, stool, buccal specimens. Polymerase chain reaction can yield quantitative and genotyping results with sensitivity and specificity that approaches 100%. A clear trend in the direction of the determination of quantitative H. pylori infection by real-time polymerase chain reaction can be observed. Fluorescent in situ hybridization is suggested for routine antibiotic resistance determination. To identify the organism, deoxyribonucleic acid structure and its virulence factors may be feasible by using oligonucleotide microarray specifically recognizing and discriminating bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid and various virulence factors. Deoxyribonucleic acid-based H. pylori diagnosis yields higher sensitivity, however, specificity requires sophisticated labour environment and associated with higher costs.

Determination of Helicobacter pylori cagA, vacA genotypes with real-time PCR melting curve analysis.

OBJECTIVES: genotypes of Helicobacter pylori are the focus of interest because they play a prominent role in mucosal injury. The purpose of this study was to determine cagA and vacA genotypes of H. pylori using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method with a double strain DNA binding SYBR Green I.dye, and to compare this with those of two immunohistochemical methods. METHODS: forty-three paraffin-embedded biopsy tissue samples were examined by histology, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry and melting curve analysis of real-time PCR. RESULTS: the presence of cagA gene was associated with a significantly higher frequency of gastritis (P=0.003) than that of vacA gene with intestinal metaplasia (P=0.045). Significant difference was found between the presence of cagA gene and EGFR expression in intestinal metaplasia cases in comparison with cagA negative samples (P=0.0418). Statistically significant difference was detected between increased cell proliferation and the presence of gastritis. CONCLUSIONS: this method seems to be suitable for H. pylori genotype determination. Sensitivity, speed and simplicity are key areas in the development of PCR assays for H. pylori. Results supported the notion that infection with cagA positive H. pylori strain causes more augmentated cell proliferation in the stomach mucosa.

[Determination of cagA, vacA genotypes of Helicobacter pylori with real-time PCR-method]. / Helicobacter pylori cagA, vacA genotípusának meghatározása real-time PCR módszerrel.

Presence of cagA gene of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) increases proliferation of stomach mucosa and it is an index of raised virulence of the bacteria. The vacA gene of H. pylori induces a serious inflammation of stomach. The purpose of this study was to determine cagA and vacA genotypes of H. pylori using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method with the double strain DNA-(dsDNA) binding SYBR Green I. dye. Results were compared with those of two immunohistochemical methods. 43 patients' paraffin embedded biopsy tissue samples were examined by histology, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry and melting curve analysis of real-time PCR using LightCycler instrument. Results of histology and real-time PCR from gastric biopsies correlated in 57% of cag acases and in 58% of vac cases. Significant difference was detected between normal and gastritis cases in the presence of cagA gene (p = 0.003) and between normal epithelial and intestinal metaplasia cases in the presence of vacA gene (p = 0.045) by investigation of association of histology and genotype of bacterium. Statistically significant difference (p = 0.02) was found between increased cell proliferation and the presence of gastritis. Significant correlation was found between the presence of cagA gene and EGFR expression in intestinal metaplasia cases (p = 0.0418). Results underlie the statistics that infection with cagA positive H. pylori strain increases the cell proliferation on the stomach mucosa and raises the chance of development of intestinal metaplasia. Infection with vacA positive H. pylori inhibits the signal-transduction pathway of EGFR, which influences mechanisms of mucosa repair. The role of EGFR and H. pylori infection is yet unclear in intestinal metaplasia and cancer. The authors' method seem to be suitable for determination of genotypes of H. pylori.

[Molecular biology characteristics of Helicobacter pylori]. / A Helicobacter pylori molekuláris biológiai jellemzói.

Attention has been recently adverted to the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) by the fact, that its association with occurrence of gastroduodenal ulcer and gastric carcinoma had been justified. Our current understanding about metabolism and physiology of it is still not full, however, great strides have been made as for the methods of investigation during the last 16 years. Complete genome sequence of pathogenic strain of the bacteria have recently became identified, by which certain fundamental aspects of biology of H. pylori have been highlighted. Based on data, infection may presumably act as a cofactor to the development of peptic ulcer disease and carcinogenesis, however, details of pathomechanism are still unclear. Variability and genotype of bacteria, immune reactions and genetic patterns of host organism and mechanisms sustaining the balance of mucosal integrity may have additional influence. This study provides an overview on the current understanding about molecular biology of H. pylori.