Determination of the Status of Helicobacter pylori sabA Gene in Relation to Clinical Findings

Abstract

Background: Many Helicobacter pylori strains express adhesin proteins that bind to specific host-cell macromolecule receptors, like sialic acid binding adhesion (sabA).  SabA-expressing strains have been associated with gastric cancer and negatively associated with duodenal ulcers. The aim of this study was to determine the status of sabA gene of H. pylori and its association with the clinical diseases in Iranian dyspeptic pateints.

Methods: Eighty six biopsy block samples that were positive for H. pylori according Geimsa staining were included in this study. Genomic DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded gastric biopsies obtained from dyspeptic patients.   The   identity   of   Helicobacter   genus   was   determined   through amplification of 16S rRNA which followed by sabA PCR using the gene-specific primers. The prevalence of sabA gene in three clinical groups including gastritis, gastric ulcer, and gastric atrophy was determined. The association of sabA gene and clinical outcomes was assessed statistically using Chi-square test. A p-value less than <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Total of 86 patients was included in this study. Seventeen cases out of 86 (23.6%) were yielded a positive result for sabA gene. The prevalence of sabA gene  was  28.6%  in  both  dyspeptic  and  Gastric  atrophy  patients  as compared with peptic ulcers (19.2%).

Conclusion: For a first time the frequency of sabA gene using PCR methods was reported. The current study demonstrated that the sabA gene status was not associated with clinical diseases. In limited number of studied samples, higher frequency of sabA gene among dyspeptic and atrophic patients was found.