Profile of Helicobacter pylori cagA &vacA genotypes and its association with the spectrum of gastroduodenal disease.

PURPOSE: Globally, H. pylori virulence factors cagA and vacA genotypes and its variation is leading to the austere form of the gastroduodenal disease. Our objectives were to detect H. pylori in dyspeptic patients from biopsy samples with the validation of the various existing diagnostic tools and to screen the cagA, vacA genotypes profile from biopsy specimens and how it impacts in progression of gastroduodenal disease in southern India. METHODS: 374 patients who attended endoscopy unit at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal with their consent obtained their biopsies. H. pylori were detected by HPE, Culture, RUT and PCR and its virulence gene were patterned with PCR. RESULTS: The positive rate of H. pylori by HPE, RUT, Culture and PCR were 51.33%, 47.1%, 32.4% and 50.3% respectively and comparison by Bayesian LCMs analysis showed PCR is superior among them. The frequency of H. pylori virulence gene viz cagPAI (cagA) were 80.9%, and vacA alleles-s1m1 (42%), s1m2 (33%) and s2m2 (25%) genotypes by PCR respectively. Four combinations of cagA/vacA genotypes were noted, majority of strains harboured cagA+/vacA s1m1 genotypes (42.6%), interestingly this hyper-virulent strain more frequently seen in severe gastroduodenal disease whereas cagPAI negative strains as well as cagA-/vacA s2m2 combinations (19.1%) are seen most commonly in functional dyspepsia cases and depicted significant association by Chi-square test. CONCLUSIONS: This study validates and compares the existing diagnostic methods for detecting H. pylori in biopsies. Also, it reveals some pattern of virulence gene combination will play a vital role in disease progression.

High primary resistance to metronidazole and levofloxacin, and a moderate resistance to clarithromycin in Helicobacter pylori isolated from Karnataka patients.

BACKGROUND: Due to increased prevalence of H. pylori antimicrobial resistance worldwide and more importantly the resistance patterns vary between different geographical regions, it is important to survey local H. pylori antibiotic resistance profile to provide physicians with more informed drug choices to better treat H. pylori infection. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance of H. pylori in Karnataka state of South India. RESULTS: A total of 113 H. pylori strains were isolated from gastric biopsies and tested: 81.4% were resistant to metronidazole, 54.9% were resistant to levofloxacin, 20.4% were resistant to clarithromycin, 5.3% were resistant to tetracycline and 7.1% were resistant to amoxicillin. Multidrug resistance was detected in 59.3% of total isolated strains, among which 86.6% were resistant to at least both metronidazole and levofloxacin. In this study, 38 out of 113 H. pylori strains had been whole-genome sequenced. Based on the draft genomes, RdxA and/or FrxA inactivation mutations were found to present in 75% of metronidazole-resistant strains. Clarithromycin-resistant strains had mainly A2143G and G2224A mutations in the 23 rRNA gene. While 87.1% levofloxacin-resistant strains had amino acid substitution mutations occurring predominantly at N87 and D91 in GyrA, novel mutations in the same protein including an insertion of five amino acid residues (QDNSV), immediately after the start codon, and a substitution mutation at R295 were identified. CONCLUSION: High primary resistance to metronidazole and levofloxacin, and a modest occurrence of clarithromycin resistance were revealed in H. pylori strains isolated from Karnataka patients. Therefore metronidazole-, levofloxacin- and clarithromycin-based triple therapies are not suitable as first-line treatment in Karnataka. Both amoxicillin and tetracycline can still be used to eradicate H. pylori infection in this region. We also revealed novel mutations in GyrA protein that possibly contribute to H. pylori resistance in levofloxacin, which merit further investigations.

Prevalence of Foot Complications in People With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Community-Based Survey in Rural Udupi.

The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of foot complications among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the rural part of Udupi district, Karnataka, India. A cross-sectional observational study design was conducted in the rural area of Udupi district. In the study, accredited social health activists were trained to screen people with type 2 diabetes mellitus for diabetic foot complications at a community level. Adults over 35 years of age were screened for the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus by accredited social health activists who reside in the rural part of Udupi district. Participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included in the study. Blood glucose level was measured using a glucometer. Foot examination was done by visual inspection, monofilament, tuning fork, and pedal pulse. In the present study, 2110 among the total participants were found to have type 2 diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of musculoskeletal foot complications was 1218 (58%), vascular problem 466 (22.2%), sensory neuropathy 634 (30.2%), autonomic neuropathy 1729 (81.9%), ulcer 134 (6.38%), and infection 561 (26.7%) among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In the current study, we found 84.7% of people residing in rural Udupi had type 2 diabetes mellitus. Hence, there is a strong need to create awareness about diabetic foot care in these people.

Helicobacter pylori in Dyspepsia: Phenotypic and Genotypic Methods of Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori affects almost half of the world's population and therefore is one of the most frequent and persistent bacterial infections worldwide. H. pylori is associated with chronic gastritis, ulcer disease (gastric and duodenal), mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and gastric cancer. Several diagnostic methods exist to detect infection and the option of one method or another depends on various genes, such as availability, advantages and disadvantages of each method, monetary value, and the age of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with complaints of abdominal pain, discomfort, acidity, and loss of appetite were chosen for endoscopy, detailed history was contained, and a physical examination was conducted before endoscopy. Biopsies (antrum + body) were received from each patient and subjected to rapid urease test (RUT), histopathological examination (HPE), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and culture. RESULTS: Of the total 223 biopsy specimens obtained from dyspeptic patients, 122 (54.7%) were positive for H. pylori for HPE, 109 (48.9%) by RUT, 65 (29.1%) by culture, and 117 (52.5%) by PCR. The specificity and sensitivity were as follows: RUT (99% and 88.5%), phosphoglucosamine mutase PCR assay (100% and 95.9%), and culture (100% and 53.3%), respectively. CONCLUSION: In this study, we compared the various diagnostic methods used to identify H. pylori infection indicating that, in comparison with histology as gold standard for detection of H. pylori infection, culture and PCR showed 100% specificity whereas RUT and PCR showed 99% and 100% sensitivity, respectively.

Xanthogranulomatous pancreatitis mimicking a malignant solid tumour.

Xanthogranulomatous inflammation, which is known to occur in several viscera, is rarely found to affect the pancreas. We report a case of xanthogranulomatous pancreatitis (XGP) occurring in a 60-year-old man who presented with epigastric pain and vomiting. Physical examination did not reveal any abnormality. Contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen revealed an ill-defined, heterogeneous mass lesion in the uncinate process of the pancreas, suggestive of malignancy. Whipple's pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed and the final pathological diagnosis was XGP. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. When a pancreatic mass does not show clinicoradiological features typical of common pancreatic neoplasms, XGP should be considered for a differential diagnosis and duodenum preserving surgery can be considered.

Duodenal carcinoid with carcinoid syndrome.

Carcinoid tumours are uncommon well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours. Primary duodenal carcinoids account for less than 2% of all gastrointestinal carcinoids. Duodenal carcinoids are seldom associated with carcinoid syndrome. We report a rare case of duodenal carcinoid presenting as a carcinoid syndrome in a middle-aged man with upper abdominal pain, hot flushes, diarrhoea and dry cough. Endoscopy-guided biopsy and 24 h urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) proved the diagnosis. He was further evaluated and managed with definitive surgical treatment.

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome secondary to brucellosis - A case report.

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare condition characterized by duodenal obstruction due to extrinsic compression by SMA. Any condition which results in rapid, significant weight loss can cause SMA syndrome. Brucellosis is a common cause of pyrexia of unknown origin which can result in loss of appetite and weight loss. Brucellosis resulting in SMA syndrome has not been described in literature. We present a case of SMA syndrome resulting from weight loss due to brucellosis along with a brief review of relevant literature.