Influence of genetic characteristics of Helicobacter pylori on pathomorphology of gastric mucosa in young persons with chronic gastritis

Objective. To evaluate the effect of the genetic characteristics of Helicobacter pylori on the nature of pathomorphological disorders in the gastric mucosa in chronic Hp-associated gastritis in young people.

Material and methods. Forty-two adults (25 men and 17 women) aged 19 to 40 years with Hp-associated chronic gastritis were examined. The severity and activity of inflammation, as well as the presence of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia were determined in gastrobioptates. Genetic typing of Hp was performed for 16 pathogenicity factors of infect: CagA, CagM, CagT, CagH, CagC, CagF, CagE, VacAs1 and As2, IceA, Baba; HpaA; OipA, AlpB; UreB and UreI using polymerase chain reaction.

Results. Pathogenic Hp strains were detected in 59.5 % of patients. Factors of adhesion – HpaA (83.3 %), OipA (81 %), and AlpB (83.3 %) were identified with the highest frequency. In 57.1 % of cases, cytotoxin of the Cag group was detected, and 54.8 % of patients had a positive CagA-status. The VacA S₁ allele was registered in 73.8 %, VacA S₂ in 4.8 %, IceA in 38.1 %, and BabA in 45.2 % of cases. The presence of Hp strains in the gastric mucosa, which have three or more pathogenicity island genes, significantly increases the severity and activity of the inflammatory process, revealing signs of moderate atrophy of the digestive tract and intestinal metaplasia.

Conclusions. Colonization of the gastric mucosa in young patients with Hp-associated chronic gastritis by highly pathogenic Hp strains leads to severe violations of its morphology.