| Summary: | <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> infection possessing East-Asian-type CagA is associated with carcinogenesis. Mongolia has the highest mortality rate from gastric cancer. Therefore, we evaluated the CagA status in the Mongolian population. High risk and gastric cancer patients were determined using endoscopy and histological examination. <i>H. pylori</i> strains were isolated from different locations in Mongolia. The CagA subtypes (East-Asian-type or Western-type, based on sequencing of Glu-Pro-Ile-Tyr-Ala (EPIYA) segments) and <i>vacA</i> genotypes (s and m regions) were determined using PCR-based sequencing and PCR, respectively. In total, 368 patients were examined (341 gastritis, 10 peptic ulcer, and 17 gastric cancer). Sixty-two (16.8%) strains were <i>cagA</i>-negative and 306 (83.1%) were <i>cagA</i>-positive (293 Western-type, 12 East-Asian-type, and one hybrid type). All <i>cagA</i>-negative strains were isolated from gastritis patients. In the gastritis group, 78.6% (268/341) had Western-type CagA, 2.9% (10/341) had East-Asian-type, and 18.2% (61/341) were <i>cagA</i>-negative. However, all <i>H. pylori</i> from gastric cancer patients possessed Western-type CagA. Histological analyses showed that East-Asian-type CagA was the most virulent strains, followed by Western-type and <i>cagA</i>-negative strains. This finding agreed with the current consensus. <i>CagA</i>-positive strains were the most virulent type. However, the fact that different CagA types can explain the high incidence of gastric cancer might be inapplicable in Mongolia.
|
|---|