High prevalence of cytotoxin positive <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> in patients unrelated to the presence of peptic ulcers in Japan

Abstract

The western blot method using recombinant VacA protein is simple and useful for detecting antibody to vacuolating cytotoxin. This method showed antibodies against cytotoxin were highly prevalent, even in subjects with endoscopically normal mucosa in Japan, indicating that the cytotoxin may not be an independent cause of gastrointestinal diseases induced by H pylori infection.