Molecular techniques for studying the epidemiology of infection by Helicobacter pylori

The efficacy of one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of whole-cell protein patterns for fingerprinting isolates of Helicobacter pylori was assessed by means of computerized numerical analysis. Virtually all strains were found to have unique, stable, and reproducible protein profiles. The application of this technique to a collection of isolates from eight patients showed clearly that each harboured a distinct strain that was present before treatment and persisted after treatment. This suggests that relapse was due to recrudescence of the same strain rather than re-infection with a different strain. Minor differences in protein banding profiles within sets of isolates from the same patient were evident, and this was confirmed by means of both two-dimensional PAGE protein patterns and restriction endonuclease analysis of DNA on the same strains.