Comparação das cepas de Helicobacter pylori na placa bacteriana dental e mucosa gástrica

Helicobacter pylori infection is extremely frequent over the world, mainly in development countries, including Brazil. It’s associated to chronic gastritis, duodenal and gastric ulcer, and is considered as an important risk factor for gastric cancer and gastric MALT lymphoma. The transmission routes remain unclear, but oral-oral and fecal-oral routs seem to be the most probable ones. The value of the presence of the bacteria on the dental plaque also remains unclear, and it maybe a source for gastric infection. Aiming in identifying and correlating the H. pylori stains found in gastric mucosa and dental plaque of 99 adult dyspeptic patients submitted to upper digestive endoscopies at Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, in 2005 were evaluated. Samples from dental plaque were collected by sterile sticks and urease test and polymerase (PCR) chain reaction were undertaken. During the endoscopic procedure 6 pieces were collected from antrun and investigated by urease test, histopathology and PCR, after obtaining informed consent. The results were analyzed using BioEstat 3.0 package. The bacteria was found in 96% of gastric samples and in 72% of dental plaque samples, and this difference was statistically significant (p<0,001). There weren’t statistically significant differences related to age or gender. Every patient presented gastric diseases. In 18% of the cases lessons considered as of higher severity such as ulcers or pre-malignant lesions, as intestinal metaplasia, were found, and, among these, there were 82.4% of cases with both gastric and dental plaque infection. PCR was the most efficient test either on dental plaque and gastric mucosa samples. Among the 71 cases where the dental plaque samples were positive for the presence of the bacteria, the stains were identical to the gastric mucosa H pylori stains in 89%. The most common genotype was s1bm1cagA positive, either at dental plaque and gastric mucosa. The type 1 strains, considered the most pathogenic ones, were found in 63 patients on gastric mucosa and in 58 patients on dental plaque. The high frequency of H. pylori found on dental plaque might indicate the oral cavity as a colonizing locus for this bacteria and a risk factor for gastric infection.A infecção pela Helicobacter pylori, é extremamente frequente em todo o mundo, com prevalência maior em países em desenvolvimento. Está associada à gastrite crônica, úlcera gástrica e duodenal e é considerada um fator de risco para câncer gástrico e linfoma MALT do estômago. As rotas de transmissão desta bactéria ainda não estão completamente esclarecidas, sendo as mais prováveis a oral-oral e fecal-oral. A importância da presença da bactéria da placa dental permanece obscura, podendo constituir-se em fonte de infecção gástrica. Objetivando identificar e correlacionar as cepas da H. pylori presentes em biopsias gástricas e em amostras de placa dental, foram avaliados 99 pacientes adultos dispépticos, submetidos a endoscopia digestiva alta no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, da Universidade Federal do Pará, no ano de 2005. Amostras da placa dental foram obtidas utilizando coletores esterilizados, e analisadas pelo teste da urease e pela Reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR). Durante a endoscopia, seis biopsias foram retiradas do antro gástrico e analisadas pelo teste da urease, exame histopatológico e PCR, após consentimento informado e aprovação pelo Comitê de Ética do Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto. Os resultados obtidos foram analisados utilizando-se o programa BioEstat 3.0. A bactéria foi identificada em 96% das biopsias gástricas e em 72% das amostras de placas dentais, diferença estatisticamente significante (p<0,001). Em relação à idade e sexo, não houve diferença estatística. Todos os pacientes apresentaram alterações gástricas, sendo que 18% apresentaram grau maior de severidade, com lesões ulceradas à endoscopia e/ou lesão pré-maligna do tipo metaplasia intestinal à histopatologia, nestes houve concomitância de infecção na placa dental e mucosa gástrica em 82,4%. Dentre os testes utilizados o de maior sensibilidade foi a PCR, tanto em amostras gástricas como na placa dental. Nos casos de positividade para a bactéria na placa dental (71 casos), houve coincidência entre as cepas da mucosa gástrica e placa dental em 89%. O genótipo mais frequentemente identificado foi s1bm1 cagA positivo, tanto na mucosa gástrica, quando na placa dental. As cepas tipo 1, consideradas as mais patogênicas foram encontradas em 63 pacientes na mucosa gástrica e em 58 pacientes na placa dental. A frequência elevada da H. pylori na placa dental, pode ser um indicador de que a cavidade oral seria um sítio de colonização deste micro-organismo, a partir do qual poderia ser diretamente disseminada, constituindo-se em um fator de risco para infecção gástrica

Helicobacter pylori in dental plaque and stomach of patients from Northern Brazil

AIM: To establish whether virulence factor genes vacA and cagA are present in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) retrieved from gastric mucosa and dental plaque in patients with dyspepsia

Expression of ABH and Lewis antigens in chronic gastritis and pre-neoplasic alterations in gastric mucosa

BACKGROUND:The major cause for chronic gastritis in human is the infection by the Helicobacter pylori. The blood group antigens present at the gastric mucous are described as possible receptor for this bacteria in the epithelium. The alterations in the expression of blood group patterns are associated with the development of gastric cancer. OBJECTIVES: Verify the H. pylori prevalence and examine the immunohistochemical distribution of the ABH and Lewis antigens expression to correlate with histopathological alterations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 63 chronic gastritis patients were investigated gastric biopsies, blood and saliva samples by dot-blot-ELISA, indirect immunoperoxidase and hematoxylin-eosin and Gram. RESULTS: No significant association between the presence of the bacteria and the ABH, Lewis and Secretor phenotype was found. For the majority of the patients the antigen expression of the ABH and Lewis blood group was restricted mainly to the foveola epithelium of the gastric mucosa, similar to the saliva. The inappropriate expression of these antigens occurred always in the presence of H. pylori and/or preneoplastic alterations of the gastric mucosa. In areas with intestinal metaplasias we also observed reduced reactivity for the H and Leb antigens and mainly the induced expression of Lea. CONCLUSION: Alterations in the pattern of the glycosylation of this antigens are interesting, because they reflect different stages in the cellular differentiation and become potential markers in the diagnostic evaluation and prognosis of gastric pathologies.RACIONAL: A aderência do Helicobacter pylori à mucosa gástrica humana é pré-requisito para sua colonização e o desenvolvimento da gastrite crônica. Os antígenos de grupos sangüíneos, presentes no muco gástrico, são descritos como prováveis receptores da bactéria neste epitélio. A expressão alterada destes antígenos está associada ao desenvolvimento do câncer gástrico. OBJETIVOS: Verificar a ocorrência do Helicobacter pylori e a distribuição da expressão dos antígenos ABH e Lewis correlacionada com as alterações histopatológicas de pacientes com gastrite crônica. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Analisaram-se 63 amostras de sangue, saliva e biopsias gástricas de pacientes com gastrite crônica através das técnicas dot-blot-ELISA, imunoperoxidase indireta e colorações do Gram modificado e hematoxilina-eosina. RESULTADOS: Não foram encontradas associações significativas entre a presença da bactéria e os fenótipos de grupos sangüíneos ABH, Lewis e Secretor. Na maioria dos pacientes, a expressão dos antígenos ABH e Lewis, estava restrita principalmente ao epitélio foveolar da mucosa gástrica, concordando com a expressão ao nível salivar. A expressão inapropriada desses antígenos ocorria sempre na infecção pelo Helicobacter pylori e/ou alterações pré-neoplásicas da mucosa gástrica. Em áreas com metaplasia intestinal foi observada a redução da reatividade para os antígenos H e Le, e principalmente o aumento de Leª. CONCLUSÃO: Alterações no padrão de glicosilação destes antígenos refletem diferentes estágios de diferenciação celular e são marcadores potenciais na avaliação diagnóstica e prognóstica das patologias gástricas

Characterization of 23S rRNA domain V mutations in gastric biopsy patients from the eastern Amazon

Resistance of Helicobacter pylori to clarithromycin is characterised by simple point mutations in the 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene and is responsible for the majority of cases of failure to eradicate this bacterium. In this paper, we characterised the variability of the 23S rRNA gene in biopsies of patients with gastric pathologies in the eastern Amazon (Northern Region of Brazil) using PCR and sequencing. A total of 49 sequences of H. pylori strains were analysed and of those, 75.6% presented nucleotide substitutions: A2142G (3.3%), T2182C (12.9%), G2224A (6.45%), T2215C (61.3%), A2192G (3.3%), G2204C (6.4%) and T2221C (6.4%). Of the mutations identified, four are known mutations related to cases of resistance and 16.1% are not yet described, revealing a high prevalence of mutations in the H. pylori 23S rRNA gene among the strains circulating in the in the eastern Amazon. The high prevalence in individuals with gastric pathologies in the northern region of Brazil demonstrates the need for characterising the profile of these strains to provide correct therapy for patients, considering that mutations in this gene are normally associated with resistance to the primary medication used in controlling H. pylori infection

Interleukin-1 and TNF-α polymorphisms and Helicobacter pylori in a Brazilian Amazon population

AIM: To study the association between Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α polymorphisms, infection by Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) and the development of gastrointestinal diseases

Clinical and pathological importance of vacA allele heterogeneity and cagA status in peptic ulcer disease in patients from North Brazil

We have examined the prevalence of gene cagA and vacA alleles in 129 patients, 69 with gastritis and 60 with peptic ulcer diseases from North Brazil and their relation with histopathological data. vacA and cagA genotype were determined by polymerase chain reaction. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used for histological diagnosis. 96.6% of the patients were colonized by Helicobacter pylori strains harboring single vacA genotype (nont-mixed infection). Among them, 11.8% had subtype s1a, 67.8% had subtype s1b, and 17% subtype s2. In regard to the middle region analysis, m1 alleles were found in 75.4% and m2 in 21.2% of patients. The cagA gene was detected in 78% patients infected with H. pylori and was associated with the s1-m1 vacA genotype. The H. pylori strains, vacA s1b m1/cagA-positive, were associated with increased risk of peptic ulcer disease and higher amounts of lymphocytic and neutrophilic infiltrates and the presence of intestinal metaplasia. These findings show that cagA and vacA genotyping may have clinical relevance in Brazil