Acid formation in gastroenterological patients with colonization of the stomach with virulent and non-virulent strains of helicobacter

Abstract

Objective. To prove that increased acid production in patients with gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer is associated with the impact of the virulent strains of Helicobacter pylori but due not to the persistence of non-virulent strains.

Materials and methods. Patients with active gastroduodenal ulcer and patients with active chronic pancreatitis accompanied by the gastritis were compared in the respect of the level of pH in the antrum and corpus gastricum, as well as Helicobacter pylori virulence according to the presence cagA gene, especially in combination with vacA allele s1 / m1 (if any of the strains were found in gastric biopsy specimen).

Results. In patients with gastric ulcer the average values of pH were significantly lower, both in the antrum and corpus gastricum, than in patients with chronic pancreatitis accompanied by gastritis. Helicobacter pylori strains were found only in half of the patients, either in the gastric ulcer group or in the group of chronic pancreatitis accompanied by the gastritis. Significant difference was revealed after virulent genes identification: virulent strains prevailed in patients with gastric ulcer and in contrast to the prevalence of non-virulent strains in patients with chronic pancreatitis accompanied by the gastritis (Mann-Whitney test, p = 0.001). Since there is no available data that Helicobacter has an affinity for a highly acidic medium in comparison with moderately acidic medium, it is concluded that just primary colonization of the stomach with virulent strains results in hyperacidity (as the consequence of cytotoxicity) and that persistence of non-virulent strains hardly effects hyperacidity.