Investigation of cagA, dupA and babA genes among clinical Helicobacter pylori isolates collected from patients suffering from H. pylori gastric disease using real-time PCR.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection causes chronic gastritis and can lead to severe gastrointestinal diseases, including stomach ulcers, stomach cancer, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. This infection affects about half of the world's population, with varying prevalence based on location and hygiene standards. Determining the importance of H. pylori pathogenic genes in predicting clinical outcomes is crucial, especially considering high rates of stomach cancer in Middle Eastern and Asian populations. The main aim of this study was to determine the frequency of the babA, cagA, and dupA pathogenic genes in H. pylori isolates obtained from patients with gastrointestinal diseases.

METHODS: A urease test was conducted on 111 biopsies from the antrum of patients undergoing endoscopies at Tehran hospitals. Following this, an extraction kit was used, and the Real-time PCR technique determined the frequency of the babA, cagA, and dupA genes.

RESULTS: Out of 111 stomach biopsies, 70 tested positive for H. pylori. Molecular analysis showed that the frequency of babA, cagA, and dupA genes was 51 (72.8 %), 35 (50 %), and 26 (37.14 %), respectively.

CONCLUSION: The results showed that babA and cagA genes were identified with a higher abundance among patients and the findings suggest that the presence of these genes could be considered a risk indicator for exacerbation of gastrointestinal disease. Additionally, the dupA gene was found with lower frequency, which is less likely to play a significant role in pathogenicity compared to other genes. This study could help develop more effective prevention and treatment methods in the future.