Advances in the research of new genetic markers for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori is one of the human pathogens with highest prevalence around the world. Colonizing the human stomach, H. pylori could lead to peptic ulceration, gastric adenocarcinoma and gastric lymphoma. H. pylori is a genetically diverse bacterial species, and variability in virulence factors has a role in bacterial pathogenesis and progression to gastric cancer, although bacterium and host factors of progression are not completely understood. In a recent study, we have demonstrated that six housekeeping genes related to H. pylori pathogenesis were specifically amplified for H. pylori in a total of 52 H. pylori clones isolated from 11 patients. Although most clones isolated from the same patient showed identical gene sequences, events of multiple infection and microevolution were detected. We consider that housekeeping genes could be useful for H. pylori detection and to elucidate the mode of transmission and the relevance of the multiple infection. Further genetic studies are required to provide powerful tools to face all current unmet challenges of H. pylori infection, such as the elucidation of mode of transmission, the development of new sensitive and specific PCR methods for H. pylori detection, and implication of H. pylori in other diseases.