Molecular epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori: separation of H. pylori from East Asian and non-Asian countries

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection 2000-02, Vol.124 (1), p.91-96
• Main Authors: YAMAOKA, Y., OSATO, M. S., SEPULVEDA, A. R., GUTIERREZ, O., FIGURA, N., KIM, J. G., KODAMA, T., KASHIMA, K., GRAHAM, D. Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Americas - epidemiology; Antigens, Bacterial; Asia; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; cagA gene; Countries; Cultural geography; Epidemiology; Europe - epidemiology; Far East - epidemiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genomics; Genotype; Genotypes; Geographic regions; Helicobacter Infections - epidemiology; Helicobacter pylori; Helicobacter pylori - genetics; Humans; Infections; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Molecular epidemiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Product category rules; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Vietnam - ethnology
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268899003209

The predominant H. pylori strain circulating among geographic locations differs with regard to the genomic structure. This study determined whether structural subtypes of the cagA 3′ repeat region could be used to identify the population of origin of H. pylori isolates. We examined 600 cagA-positive H. pylori (Colombia, 100; USA, 100; France, 100; Canada, 20; Italy, 20; Korea, 100; Japan, 100; Hong Kong, 20; Taiwan, 20; Vietnam, 20). The cagA 3′ region was amplified by PCR using primers specific to Japanese and Western 3′ cagA gene sequences. PCR using Japanese cagA primers resulted in PCR products in 99·6% of strains from East Asia but no non-Asian strains. Conversely, PCR using Western cagA primers resulted in amplicons in 100% of non-Asian strains, and only one from East Asia. cagA genotyping is useful for molecular epidemiological studies as strains can be completely separated by differences in the cagA 3′ region.