Duodenal ulcer promoting gene (DupA), plasticity region genes and sigma factors in H. pyloristrains from Nigeria.

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori is a principal cause of gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and contribution of duodenal ulcer promoting gene A (dupA), the plasticity region genes and sigma factors in relation to their pathological expression of H. pylori infections in the Nigerian population.

Methodology: Polymerase Chain Reaction was used to analyze a total of forty-nine H. pylori strains isolated from patients attending various endoscopic units in tertiary hospitals in Nigeria for complete dupA (G27 variant), jhp0917, jhp0918, other plasticity region genes jhp 914/917, jhp0914, jhp0940 and sigma factors.

Results: PCR results indicated that the prevalence of complete dupA (G27 variants), jhp0917, jhp0918 and other plasticity region genes jhp0914, jhp0914/0917 and jhp0940 in the H. pylori strains were 4%, 53%, 88%, 73%, 12% and 0% respectively. The prevalence values of the sigma factors were 96%, 92%, 80% for rpoN,  fliA and rpoD respectively. However, the endoscopic findings showed that erosion, normal mucosal, ulcer, hyperaemic stomach, mucosal atrophy and oedematous stomach in the patients where the H. pylori strains were isolated were 40.8%, 32.7%, 10.2%, 8.2%, 2.0% and 6.1% respectively. There was significant association between jhp0917, jhp914/917 and G27 variant and the endoscopic findings, while other plasticity genes showed no association with the endoscopic findings.

Conclusion: These results suggest that the presence of jhp0917, jhp0914/917 and G27 variant could be used as marker to predict the pathological effect of severity in Nigeria patients with H. pylori infection.