Prevalence of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Inducing Protein (tipα) Gene of Helicobacter Pylori and Its Association with Upper Gastrointestinal Diseases in India

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p><jats:bold>Background: </jats:bold><jats:italic>Helicobacter pylori</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic>) is known to cause several gastro-duodenal diseases including chronic Gastritis, Peptic Ulcer disease and Gastric Cancer. Virulent genes of <jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic> like <jats:italic>cagA</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>vacA</jats:italic> are known to be responsible for the disease pathogenesis. But these virulence genes are not always found to be associated with disease outcome in all populations around the world. Relationship of <jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic> with Gastro Esophageal Reflux Diseases is controversial and uncertain. Tumor necrosis factor alpha inducing protein <jats:italic>tipα </jats:italic>is a new discovered virulent gene of <jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic> and is an inducer of certain cytokines and chemokines that are responsible for causing stomach cancer. Therefore, we conducted a study which aims to find the prevalence of <jats:italic>tipα</jats:italic> gene in the Indian population and its association with <jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic> related upper gastrointestinal diseases.<jats:bold>Results: </jats:bold>The current study shows the prevalence rate of <jats:italic>tipα</jats:italic> gene in the Indian population to be 59.9%. Our study has found a significant association (p &lt; 0.05) of <jats:italic>tipα</jats:italic> gene with Non Ulcer Dyspepsia (NUD) and also an association of <jats:italic>cagA</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>vacA</jats:italic>s1m1 with Gastritis and Duodenal Ulcer.<jats:bold>Conclusion:</jats:bold> Our study demonstrates for the first time the presence of <jats:italic>tipα</jats:italic> as virulent factor of <jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic> strain in Indian population isolated from patients suffering from upper gastrointestinal diseases. Further, <jats:italic>tipα</jats:italic> is significantly associated with NUD but not with other upper gastrointestinal diseases in India.</jats:p>