Helicobacter pylori genotypes may determine gastric histopathology

The outcome of Helicobacter pylori infection has been associated with speci fic virulence-associated bacterial genotypes, The present study aimed to in vestigate the gastric histopathology in Portuguese and Colombian patients i nfected with H, pylori and to assess its relationship with bacterial virule nce-associated vacA, cagA, and iceA genotypes, A total of 370 patients from Protugal (n = 192) and Colombia(n = 178) were studied. Corpus and antrum b iopsy specimens were collected from each individual. Histopathological feat ures were recorded and graded according to the updated Sydney system. H, py lori vacA, cagA, and iceA genes were directly genotyped in the gastric biop sy specimens by polymerase chain reaction and reverse hybridization. Despit e the significant differences between the Portuguese and Colombian patient groups, highly similar results were observed with respect to the relation b etween H. pylori genotypes and histopathology, n, pylori vacA s1, vacA ml,c agA + genotypes were significantly associated with a higher H. pylori densi ty, higher degrees of lymphocytic and neutrophilic infiltrates, atrophy, th e type of intestinal metaplasia, and presence of epithelial damage. The ice A1 genotype was only associated with epithelial damage in Portuguese patien ts. These findings show that distinct H, pylori genotypes are strongly asso ciated with histopathological findings in the stomach, confirming their rel evance for the development of H. pylori-associated gastric pathology.