Effect of treatment failure on the CagA EPIYA motif in Helicobacter pylori strains from Colombian subjects

Figure 2 Dendogram of the random amplified polymorphic DNA profile generated with primer 1254 in Helicobacter pylori isolates obtained before (first endoscopy) and after (second endoscopy) treatment in patients with treatment failure. Three separate conglomerates (I, II, and III) are indicated. Most of the H. pylori isolates associated to chronic non-atrophic gastritis (19/36) and intestinal metaplasia (7/8) were included in conglomerate I and II, respectively (P = 0.006). No significant differences were noted in the segregation of isolates according to the anatomical site and exposure to treatment (P = 0.700 and P = 0.851, respectively). Conglomerate analyses were designed following Ward’s conglomeration method and estimation of distances between each pair or group of isolates were calculated with the squared Euclidean distance. Distances between isolates are given in a 25-point standardized scale, where the fingerprints with distances below or equal to 5 were considered related and distances greater than 5 were considered unrelated. AT: After treatment; BT: Before treatment; NAG: Non-atrophic gastritis; IM: Intestinal metaplasia; H. pylori: Helicobacter pylori; ALC: Antrum lesser curvature; AGC: Antrum greater curvature; BGC: Body greater curvature.