Molecular Epidemiology and Outcome of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Thailand: a Cultural Cross Roads

ABSTRACT Background. Thailand is at the cultural cross roads between East and South Asia. It has been suggested that this is also the region where the predominant Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) genotype changes from East Asian to South Asian. Methods. We compared the molecular epidemiology and outcome of H. pylori infections among different ethnic groups in Thailand (Thai, Thai‐Chinese and Chinese). H. pylori isolates were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction based on cagA, cag right end junction and vacA genotypes. Results. Ninety‐eight isolates from 38 ethnic Thai, 20 ethnic Chinese and 40 Thai‐Chinese were categorized into East Asian (45%), South/Central Asian (26%), Western (1%) or mixed type (29%). The East Asian genotype was the most common among Chinese (85%) and Thai‐Chinese (55%) (p