Ribosomal RNA genepatterns ofHelicobacter pylori from surgical patients withhealed andrecurrent peptic ulcers

SUMMARY Fifty-two strains ofHelicobacter pylori wereexamined byDNA restriction endonuclease digestion, ribosomal (r)RNAgeneprobehybridization andbiotyping. Most(49)strains originated fromgastric (antral) biopsies ofpatients before orafter elective surgery forduodenal ulcers. Chromosomal DNA HindIII ribopatterns showed 9strain clusters ofwhichthelargest contained 12strains eachwith3commonbands (150,345,and426kb)butwhich wereheterogeneous withrespect tobiotype andtotal digest pattern. Isolates frompost-operative patients witheither healed orrecurrent ulcers showedribopattern heterogeneity andexhibited asimilar distribution ofH.pylori ribopattern types; nosingle type predominated inanypatient grouporwasmorehighly associated withrecurrent ulcers thanwithhealed ulcers. Multiple isolates fromtwosurgical patients had onlyminorgenomic variations ineachsetwhereas isolates fromtwobrothers had different ribopatterns. We conclude thatHindIIIribopatterns inconjunction withtotal digest patterns mightprovide thebasis forfuture epidemiological typing studies.