Distribution of Helicobacter pylori signal regions of vacA from infected patients of Benue State University Teaching Hospital Makurdi in relation to sex and age

Background: Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium which causes chronic bacterial infections such as gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric cancers and gastric malt lymphoma. The severity of these diseases may be related to sex and age. The vacuolating cytotoxin A gene is a key virulence factor and exhibits genetic diversity most especially in its signal regions. The aim of the study was to assess the distribution of Helicobacter pylori signal regions of vavA from infected patients of Benue State University Teaching Hospital Makurdi in Relation to Sex and Age. Methods: A total of 80 patients referred for endoscopy were enrolled, and gastric biopsies taken from the antrum of the patients and tested by PCR then genotyped using standard techniques to identify the signal regions of the vacA gene. Demographic information, including age and sex, was recorded for each participant. Results: The frequency of H. pylori alleles of signal regions of vacA detected in biopsies showed that s1 had the highest frequency of 24 (100%) followed by s1c 22 (92%) while the least were s2 s1+s2. s1a was not detected. Presence of subspecie genotypes was not significantly associated with sex (Chi-square=6.511; p=0.089). However, the occurrence of the different subspecie was found to be significantly associated with age (Chi-square=21.343; p=0.011). Conclusion: The findings of this study show a relationship between H. pylori vacA sigma regions and demographic characteristics. The variations may be due to genetic variations, environmental factors, or a combination of both. H. pylori infection in the study was found not to be associated with gender but was significantly associated with age. Understanding this is crucial for discovering the complexity of H. pylori infections and developing targeted therapeutic strategies.