Helicobacter pylori sabA, hopQ and hom genotypes as potential genetic biomarkers for gastric mucosal inflammation

Ramdan Hunowu; Kartika A. Fauzia; Ricky I.  Alfaray; Selva R. Dewi; Juniastuti Juniastuti; Yoshio  Yamaoka; Muhammad Miftahussurur

doi:10.52225/narra.v5i2.1917

Authors

Ramdan Hunowu Master Program of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9608-3719
Kartika A. Fauzia Research Center for Preclinical and Clinical Medicine, National Research and Innovation Agency, Bogor, Indonesia; Helicobacter pylori and Microbiota Study Group, Institute Tropical Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
Ricky I. Alfaray Helicobacter pylori and Microbiota Study Group, Institute Tropical Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7721-9455
Selva R. Dewi Helicobacter pylori and Microbiota Study Group, Institute Tropical Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8974-7925
Juniastuti Juniastuti Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
Yoshio Yamaoka Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan; Department of Medicine-Gastroenterology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA; Division of Gastroentero-Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia; Division of Gastroentero-Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dr. Soetomo Teaching Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1222-5819
Muhammad Miftahussurur Helicobacter pylori and Microbiota Study Group, Institute Tropical Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia; Division of Gastroentero-Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia; 8Division of Gastroentero-Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dr. Soetomo Teaching Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1415-6033

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52225/narra.v5i2.1917

Keywords:

Helicobacter pylori, sabA, hopQ, hom, gastric histopathology

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori infection drives heterogeneous gastric pathologies, yet genotype-phenotype correlations in diverse populations remain underexplored. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations between H. pylori virulence genotypes (sabA, hopQ, hom family) and histopathological severity in gastric mucosa among 113 Indonesian dyspepsia patients (mean age: 49.6 years; male predominance: 64.6%). Whole-genome sequencing characterized virulence genotypes, while histopathological grading system using the Updated Sydney System assessed inflammation, atrophy, and bacterial density in the antral and corporal gastric regions. Phylogenetic analysis elucidated strain relatedness. Key genotype frequencies included sabA "on" (40.6%, 43/106), hopQ type I (53.7%, 43/80), and homC^L(82.4%, 75/91). Statistical analysis revealed sabA "on" status significantly associated with elevated antral bacterial density (odds ratio (OR) 2.70 and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.10–6.60, p=0.027). The homC variants (homC^L/homC^S) demonstrated robust associations with chronic inflammation severity (OR: 3.04; 95%CI: 0.99–9.36, p=0.046) and atrophy progression (OR: 4.78; 95%CI: 1.00–22.86, p=0.035), in contrast to the hopQ genotype, which showed no histopathological association. These findings indicated that sabA and homC as critical determinants of gastric microenvironment modulation, potentially through sabA-mediated colonization efficiency and homC^L-babA synergistic interactions. While histological profiles predominantly indicated mild atrophy, widespread severe chronic inflammation signals latent progression risks.