Diversity of Helicobacter pylori among Chinese persons with H-pylori infection

To determine whether there is diversity among clinical isolates of Helicoba cter pylori in Chinese patients with peptic ulcer disease, 40 strains of H. pylori were isolated from antral biopsy specimens obtained at the gastroen terology clinic of Xiangya Hospital from January 1996 to June 1998. Total p rotein profile by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresi s (SDS-PAGE) and DNA diversity by polymerase chain reaction-random amplifie d polymorphic DNA (PCR-RAPD) fingerprinting were performed with these isola tes. All the isolates from peptic ulcer disease were relatively homogeneous in protein profiles, but they showed a great DNA sequence diversity by PCR -RAPD fingerprinting. In Chinese patients H. pylori demonstrated an enormou s diversity. The diversity among clinical isolates of H. pylori could be di stinctly demonstrated and this observation will be helpful in the managemen t of intrafamilial and recurrent N. pylori infection. PCR-RAPD finger-print ing is an efficient method of distinguishing between clinical isolates of H . pylori.