Background
The global prevalence of
H. pylori
approaches 50%, with prevalence rates between 20 and 40% in developed countries and up to 90% in Africa and other developing nations of the world. Development of
H. pylori
-associated diseases is determined by a number of virulence factors. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of
H. pylori
infections and virulence genes (
cag
A
, dup
A
, and vac
A); the relationship between virulence factors and gastroduodenal diseases among patients.
Methods
Gastric biopsies were obtained from patients and cultured, DNA was extracted from cultured isolates and biopsies for PCR assay after which samples were investigated using standard laboratory procedures. Data of associated risk factors were obtained with the aid of questionnaires.
Results
Of the 444 participants,
H. pylori
was detected in 115 (25.9%) from culture analysis and 217 (48.9%) by direct PCR method. Ninety-eight (85.2%) of the culture-positive patients were also detected by PCR giving an overall prevalence of 52.7% (234/444). The highest number of
H. pylori
isolates 76.9% (180/234) was obtained from patients suffering from pangastritis. The
Cag
A virulence gene was found in 62% (145/234),
dup
A in 53.4% (125/234) and
vac
A in 90.6% (212/234).
Vac
A genotype s1 m1 was the most prevalent [56.4% (132)] followed by s2 m2 [11.5% (27)], s2 m1 [10.3% (24)] and [s1 m2 9.4% (22)]. There was a significant association observed in
vac
A s1 and peptic ulcer disease, as well as
vac
A s1/m2 and gastric erosion (
P
< 0.05).
Conclusion
The study revealed a significant association between virulence genes and the development of certain forms of gastric infections while the variations in
H. pylori
detection and the associated risk factors investigated in the study were not significantly related.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (10.1186/s12876-019-0986-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
The political upheavals that erupted in Kenya after the release of the 2007-8 election results resulted in the death of approximately 1 200 people, as well as the loss of livestock and other valuable property. While the Kenyan government tried to seek solutions to the crisis, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants for the arrest of top government officials. For its part, the African Union (AU) accused the ICC of racism by targeting only African leaders, and maintained that such practices undermine the rule of equality before the law set forth in Article 27 of the Rome Statute. The AU is therefore advising African countries, including Kenya, to consider withdrawing from the ICC. Will the ICC's intervention into the situation in Kenya bring justice and peace to the country, or will it add to the existing injuries affecting not just the country but the region as well? Through a critical analysis of contemporary scholarly discourse, this article unravels the dilemma of the ICC's intervention and the likely consequences of this action for the people of Kenya and Africa.
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