Analysis of Correlation between the Seven Important Helicobacter pylori ( H . pylori ) Virulence Factors and Drug Resistance in Patients with Gastritis.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between seven important H . pylori virulence factors and antibiotic resistance in patients with gastritis. H . pylori strains isolated from 33 patients with gastritis were examined. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by GenoType® HelicoDR (Hain Life Science, Germany) test kit and RT-PCR. The virulence-factors were determined using conventional PCR. 39% of patients were resistant for clarithromycin and 27% of patients were resistant for fluoroquinolone. 15% of patients were resistant to both clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone. The H . pylori vacA m1/s2 genotype was the most frequent allelic combination. Patients were possessed the vacA s1 , m1 (6.1%); s1 , m2 (6.1%); s2 , m1 (15.1%); and s2 , m2 (3.0%) genotypes. 94% of patients with gastritis were positive for H . pylori napA gene. Also, there were no dupA gene-positive gastritis patients. There was no significant correlation between the vacA , cagA , oipA , hpaA , babA , napA , dupA , ureA , ureB virulence genes, clarithromycin, and fluoroquinolone resistance. Herein, we report that the relationship between the H . pylori napA gene and gastritis. Although we found a correlation between H . pylori virulence factor and clinical outcome, there is a need for further studies to enlighten the relation between H . pylori virulence genes and antibiotic resistance.