Virulence Genes in <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> Strains from West Bengal Residents with Overt <i>H. pylori</i> -Associated Disease and Healthy Volunteers

We compared putative molecular markers of virulence (vacA, cagA, and iceA) of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from 52 adult duodenal ulcer patients from West Bengal, India, with those of H. pylori strains isolated from 48 adult healthy volunteers from the same region. On the basis of genotyping by PCR, we conclude that the H. pylori strains isolated from the two study groups were indistinguishable and that there are geographic variations in the association of certain putative H. pylori virulence genes with clinical status.