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Prevalence of cagA, cagM, vacA and oipA genes in isolates of Helicobacter pylori obtained from hospital patients in Northeast Brazil

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Abstract

Helicobacter pylori is a major cause of gastrointestinal disorders such as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and gastric cancer. It is estimated that around half of the world’s population is infected with this pathogen, with underdeveloped countries reporting the highest frequencies. The genes cagA, cagM, vacA, and oipA are some of the most important virulence factors of H. pylori; however, there are no recent studies from Recife-PE demonstrating their frequency, and their relationship with severe gastric modifications. This work aims to use qualitative PCR to detect the virulence genes cagA, cagM, vacA, and oipA in H. pylori isolates obtained from patients in a public hospital in Recife (PE). We collected samples from the stomach’s body and antrum of 147 patients, from which 71 (48%) tested positive for H. pylori. Among positive samples, the most frequently infected gender was female (44/71, 62%), and the most frequently infected age group was those above the age of 46 (31/71, 44%). Histological examination of H. pylori-positive samples revealed alterations other than chronic gastritis, including metaplasia and atrophy. The frequency of cagA, cagM, and oipA genes were identified in 84%, 56%, and 69% of the samples tested, respectively, as well as the vacA-s1m1 allelic combination (77%). However, there was no statistically significant variation in the occurrence of these genes, therefore they cannot be considered unique markers of severity in our setting. New research with larger samples and investigations of other genetic markers can aid uncover local risk factors and lead to a better understanding of H. pylori’s pathogenesis.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Aggeu Magalhães Research Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Pernambuco, Brazil the Endoscopy Department of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil and the Autoimune Institute for Research, Recife, Brazil.

Funding

This work was supported by the INOVA/Fiocruz (VPPCB-008-FIO-18-2-81-30) and the Autoimune Research Institute, Recife, Brazil. The study was financed in part by the 416 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) - Brazil − 417 Finance Code 001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbiology of Institute Aggeu Magalhães (IAM), Foundation Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Thaynara Millena de Oliveira Bezerra, Keyla Vitória Marques Xavier, Ana Carolina de Oliveira Luz & Tereza Cristina Leal- Balbino

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE, Brazil

    Ana Carolina de Oliveira Luz

  3. Keizo AsamiInstitute (iLIKA), Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE, Brazil

    Isabella Macário Ferro Cavalcanti & Carlos Alexandre Antunes de Brito

  4. Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, Academic Center of Vitoria (CAV), Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Vitoria de Santo Antao, PE, Brazil

    Isabella Macário Ferro Cavalcanti

  5. Department of Immunology, Autoimune Research Institute, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Carlos Alexandre Antunes de Brito

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  1. Thaynara Millena de Oliveira Bezerra
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  2. Keyla Vitória Marques Xavier
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Contributions

T.B: Writing– review and editing, Validation, Supervision, Resources, Project administration, Methodology, Formal analysis, Conceptualization. A.C.L: Writing– review and editing. K.X: Writing– review and editing. I.C: Writing– review and editing. T.L.B: Writing– review and editing, Validation, Supervision, Resources, Funding acquisition, Formal analysis, Conceptualization. C.B: Writing– review and editing, Validation, Supervision, Resources, Methodology, Formal analysis, Conceptualization.

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Correspondence to Thaynara Millena de Oliveira Bezerra.

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Ethical statement

This research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Pernambuco under protocol number CAAE 33837520.0.3001.8807, obeying the guidelines set forth by the National Health Council to govern research involving human subjects. Only individuals undergoing Upper Digestive Endoscopy (UDE) examination were included in this study. After being informed about the research, they voluntarily agreed to participate by signing the informed consent form (ICF).

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Bezerra, T.M.d.O., Xavier, K.V.M., Luz, A.C.d. et al. Prevalence of cagA, cagM, vacA and oipA genes in isolates of Helicobacter pylori obtained from hospital patients in Northeast Brazil. Braz J Microbiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-024-01380-4

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