Diversity of Helicobacter pylori genotypes among Estonian and Russian patients with perforated peptic ulcer, living in Southern Estonia

To compare the genomic variation of Helicobacter pylori in samples obtained from patients with perforated peptic ulcer, living in the same area of Est onia but belonging to different nationalities. 50 non-consecutive patients (32 Estonians and 18 Russians) admitted in the Tartu University Hospital in 1997-1999 were studied. Gastric samples of antral mucosa were obtained dur ing operation and analysed histologically and with PCR for detection of dif ferent genotypes of H. pylori (cagA and, vacA and m subtypes). Among the 50 perforated peptic ulcer patients with histologically proven H. pylori colo nisation no sample of gastric mucosa showed the s1b subtype of the vacA A g ene. The perforated peptic ulcer patients were mainly infected with cagA (8 2%) and s1 (98%) genotypes of H. pylori. The distribution of s1a/m1, s1a/m2 and s2/m2 subtypes of vacA genes was statistically different in Estonian a nd Russian patients (P < 0.05). In conclusion differences in the distributi on of vacA s and m subtypes of H. pylori were revealed between Estonian and Russian patients with perforated peptic ulcer from Southern Estonia. (C) 2 001 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.