Abstract Background The vacA, cagA and babA2 genotypes of Helicobacter pylori are associated with gastric pathology. The objectives were to determine the frequency of infection and distribution of the vacA, cagA and babA2 genotypes of H. pylori in patients with gastric ulcer, chronic gastritis and gastric cancer, and to evaluate the association of virulent genotypes with diagnosis. Methods We studied 921 patients with symptoms of dyspepsia or with presumptive diagnosis of gastric cancer. The DNA of H. pylori and the vacA, cagA and babA2 genes was detected by PCR in total DNA from gastric biopsies. The association of H. pylori and of its cagA, vacA and babA2 genotypes with diagnosis was determined by calculating the odds ratio (OR). Results Chronic gastritis was confirmed in 767 patients, gastric ulcer in 115 and cancer in 39. The prevalence of H. pylori was 47.8, 49.6 and 61.5% in those groups, respectively. H. pylori was more frequent in the surrounding tissue (69.2%) than in the tumor (53.8%). The vacA s1m1 genotype predominated in the three groups (45.2, 61.4 and 83.3%, respectively). H. pylori was associated with cancer (ORadjusted = 2.08; 95% CI 1.05–4.13; p = 0.035) but not with ulcer (ORadjusted = 1.07; 95% CI 0.71–1.61; p = 0.728). The s1m1 genotype was associated with ulcer and cancer (ORadjusted = 2.02; 95% CI 1.12–3.62; p = 0.019 and ORadjusted = 6.58; 95% CI 2.15–20.08; p = 0.001, respectively). babA2 was associated with gastric cancer, and cagA was not associated with the diagnosis. Conclusions In population from Southern Mexico, H. pylori and the s1m1 genotype were associated with gastric cancer and the s1m1/cagA+/babA2+ strains predominated in tumor and adjacent tissue.
