Brief Article
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 28, 2010; 16(4): 474-478
Published online Jan 28, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i4.474
Clinical relevance of Helicobacter pylori babA2 and babA2/B in Costa Rica and Japan
Sergio A Con, Hiroaki Takeuchi, Mitsuaki Nishioka, Norihito Morimoto, Tetsuro Sugiura, Nobufumi Yasuda, Reinaldo Con-Wong
Sergio A Con, Reinaldo Con-Wong, Centro Digestivo Doctores Con-Mediplaza, 245-1200 San José, Costa Rica
Sergio A Con, Hiroaki Takeuchi, Mitsuaki Nishioka, Norihito Morimoto, Tetsuro Sugiura, Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku-city, Kochi 783-8505, Japan
Nobufumi Yasuda, Department of Public Health, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku-city, Kochi 783-8505, Japan
Author contributions: Con SA designed, performed the research and wrote the paper; Nishioka M, Con-Wong R, Morimoto N, and Sugiura T contributed reagents/analytic tools; Yasuda N analyzed the data; Takeuchi H revised the paper.
Supported by (in part) A Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (21590631) and by the Project Research Fund from the Kochi University
Correspondence to: Sergio A Con, MD, PhD, Centro Digestivo Doctores Con-Mediplaza, 245-1200 San José, Costa Rica. scon@gastrocolon.com
Telephone: +506-2201-7028 Fax: +506-2201-7033
Received: July 29, 2009
Revised: October 13, 2009
Accepted: October 20, 2009
Published online: January 28, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) babA2, babB and a recombinant gene between babA2 and babB (babA2/B), and their role in the development of atrophic gastritis in Costa Rican and Japanese clinical isolates.

METHODS: A total of 95 continuous H. pylori-positive Costa Rican (41 males and 54 females; mean age, 50.65 years; SD, ± 13.04 years) and 95 continuous H. pylori-positive Japanese (50 males and 45 females; mean age, 63.43; SD, ± 13.21 years) patients underwent upper endoscopy from October 2005 to July 2006. They were enrolled for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genotyping of the H. pylori babA2, babB and babA2/B genes. Statistical analysis was performed using the χ2 test and the Fisher’s exact probability test and multivariate analysis was performed by logistic regression adjusting for gender and age. P < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.

RESULTS: The PCR-based genotyping of 95 Costa Rican and 95 Japanese isolates showed a higher prevalence of babA2 in Japan (96.8%) than in Costa Rica (73.7%), while that of babA2/B was higher in Costa Rica (11.6%) than in Japan (1.1%). In Costa Rican isolates only, babA2 was significantly associated with atrophic gastritis (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the status of babA2 and babA2/B shows geographic differences, and that babA2 has clinical relevance in Costa Rica.

Keywords: babA2, babA2/B, Costa Rica, Helicobacter pylori, Japan