Serological evidence of association between Helicobacter pylori infection and coronary artery disease

1EL-Ageery, S. M., *1,4Gouda, N. S., 2Fawzy, I. M., 3Bahy-Eldeen, A., and 3Mahmoud, R.

1Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt

2Mansoura Central Laboratories, Clinical Pathology Department, Ministry of Health, Egypt

3Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt

4Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

*Correspondence to: nawalsalama@gmail.com; 00966502933179

Abstract:

Background: Studies have reported relationship between chronic Helicobacter pylori infection and coronary artery disease (CAD). The cytotoxin-associated gene A product (CagA) is an immunodominant protein which indicates infection with virulent H. pylori strains. Significant associations of CagA-positive H. pylori strains with coronary artery disorders have been widely reported. H. pylori is also known to produce different heat shock proteins (HSPs) which can stimulate the production of specific antibody against microbial proteins and capable of eliciting autoimmune reaction against human tissue expressing HSPs such as vascular endothelial cells. The objectives of this study are to investigate the association between H. pylori and CagA with coronary atherosclerosis and CAD, and to determine the possible role of H. pylori HSP60 protein in increasing the risk of CAD development.

Methods: This study included 70 patients with stable angina and 70 age and gender-matched controls. Each group was evaluated by clinical history, physical examination, cardiac echocardiography (ECHO) and electrocardiography (ECG) with and without exercise. Fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides (TG) were estimated by automated enzymatic methods. H. pylori IgG, CagA IgG and HSP60 IgG were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for both groups. Continue reading “Serological evidence of association between Helicobacter pylori infection and coronary artery disease”

Molecular study of Helicobacter pylori virulence genes CagA, Hpa and BabA2 in Egyptian patients

M.E.S. Zaki, M.A. Rizk, A.O. Bakr, Mahmoud Mahmoud, M.A. Ali, A Shehta

 

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to detect virulence genes of Helicobacter pylori (H.pyloricagAbabA2 and hpa in gastric biopsies from patients with different stages of gastritis by polymerase chain reaction to correlate the presence of genes with the severity of the diseases.

Method: A total of 80 non repetitive gastric biopsies from antrum of the stomach were obtained from the patients and subjected to study for histological examination, unease activity, culture for H.pylori, and polymerase chain reaction studies of virulence genes cagAbabA2 and hpa.

Results: The most frequent detected gene by PCR was hpa (66.7%) and followed by cagA and babA2 (61.6%) for each. There was significant association between the three genes (P=0.0001). The study of the association between the virulence gene of H.pylori and different clinical symptoms revealed significant association of dyspepsia with cagA(P=0.001) babA2 and hpa (P=0.0001), regurgitation with cagA and babA2( P=0.002),vomiting with cagA and babA2 (P=0.01, P=0.002, respectively) and nausea with cagA and babA2 (P=0.0001, P=0.03, respectively). The virulence genes were detected in gastric ulcer. The degree of inflammation in histopathological examination was also statistically significant associated with the presence of virulences genes cagA (P=0.01), babA2 (p=0.0001) and hpa (P=0.0001)

The present study highlights the presence of virulence genes in H.pylori associated with gastric ulcer. The genes cagAbabA2 and hpa are prevalent among the strains affecting the patients. Moreover, these genes are associated with marked clinical and pathological severity. The genes are significantly associated with each other. Further studies are recommended to validate these findings.

Keywords: Gastritis, Genotypes, H.pyloricagAbabA2hpa, PCR

Download full journal in PDF below

Molecular study of Helicobacter pylori virulence genes CagA, Hpa and BabA2 in Egyptian patients