[Detection of Helicobacter species related genes coding for 16S rRNA in the liver tissue of patients with chronic liver disease].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the infection of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in the liver tissue of patients with chronic liver disease and the association between Hp and chronic liver disease.

METHODS

Liver tissue samples were obtained by liver biopsy and surgical resection from 30 healthy subjects, 30 patients with chronic hepatitis, 30 with cirrhosis and 30 with liver cancer. All the samples were confirmed by pathological examination. The gene fragment coding for 16SrRNA were amplified by PCR with sequence analysis.

RESULTS

The PCR product of the 16SrRNA gene was 109 bp in length. Hp 16SrRNA was detected in 18 out of 30 liver biopsy samples from patients with primary cancer (60.0%), in 14 samples from patients with liver cirrhosis (47.0%), and in none of the samples from normal subjects or patients with chronic hepatitis. Sequencing analysis of Hp 16SrRNA gene in the liver tissue showed a 98.8% homology with the gene fragment encoding Hp 16SrRNA.

CONCLUSION

Hp is identified in the liver tissue of patients with chronic liver disease, suggesting the possible correlation between Hp infection and hepatocellular carcinoma.