<i>Helicobacter pylori</i> Virulence Genes <i>cagA</i>, <i>babA2</i>, and <i>vacA</i> Detection in Dyspeptic Patients from Burkina Faso

The diverse clinical presentation of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection results from the interaction between bacterial virulence, host genetics, socio-demographic and environmental factors. This study aimed to characterize Helicobacter pylori virulence genes and the associated behavioral factors among dyspeptic patients in Burkina Faso. Two hundred and fifty (250) stool samples were collected from patients with dyspepsia seen at health centers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted using a commercial kit. Virulence genes were detected using conventional multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction with specific primers. The overall prevalence of Helicobacter pylori of the 250 participants was 91.20%. CagA virulence gene was present among 20.19% of individuals, while babA2 and vacA were detected respectively among 9.65% and 67.54% of the population positive for Helicobacter pylori. Among vacA subtypes, vacAs1 was the most frequent, with 39.04%, followed by vacAi1 (19.74%), vacAi2 (17.54%), and vacAs2 with 10.96%. Regarding vacAm1 and vacAm2, they were less frequent at 6.14% each. “Handwashing three times or less per day” significantly increased the risk of having vacAi2 allele and H. pylori rRNA16s, with p-values of 0.013 and 0.020, respectively. The consumption of non-tap water increases the risk of carrying the cagA virulence gene. Additionally, H. pylori-positive patients living with more than four (4) people in their household had about two times the risk of having the vacAs1 allele. The present study shows the detection of Helicobacter pylori cagA, vacA subtypes, and babA2 by stool a PCR method in Burkina Faso. The strong association between sanitary habits and virulence factors depicts the composite interaction between ecological factors, gastric mucosa, and bacteria. Therefore, the synergic action of these factors should be considered when aiming for bacterial eradication and gastric pathology cure.