Background and Aim: Helicobacter pylori is a curved gram negative organism which colonizes in human digestive tract and cause different digestive tract disorders such as duodenal ulcer, gastritis and is associated with adenocarcinoma. This bacterium has several adhesion molecules the most important of them is BabA protein. This protein attaches to lewis_b blood group antigen on the surface of stomach epithelial cells. This protein is coded by babA₂ gene. The aim of this study was to assess frequency of babA₂ genotype in H. pylori isolated from patients, and its relationship with duodenal ulcer, gastritis and adenocarcinoma.                                                                

Method and Materials: By use of polymerase chain reaction, the frequency of babA₂ genotype was studied in 81 H. pylori bacteria isolated from biopsy specimens of patients with gastritis (44), duodenal ulcer (24) and adenocarcinoma (10). Chi square test was used for data analysis.

Results: The frequencies of this genotype in H. pylori bacteria isolated from patients with duodenal ulcer, gastritis and adenocarcinoma were 68.2%, 74.1% and 80%, respectively. No significant relationship was noticed between bab A2 genotype and gastritis�and duodenal ulcer (p>0.05). But there was a relationship between this genotype and adenocarcinoma.

Conclusion:�In this study the frequency of bab A₂ was similar to the results obtained in eastern Asian countries but not to those of American and European countries. More studies about frequency of this genotype in different geographic regions and diffesrent ethnical groups with assessment of the relationship of this genotype with apoptosis and stomach cancer are recommended.

Conflict of Interest: Nill

Received: June 3, 2008      Accepted: August 4, 2008