The validation of the Helicobacter pylori CagA typing by immunohistochemistry: nationwide application in Indonesia

Acta Histochem. 2020 Sep;122(6):151594. doi: 10.1016/j.acthis.2020.151594. Epub 2020 Jul 22.

Abstract

We aimed to validate 2 types of antibodies, anti-CagA antibody and anti-East Asian CagA specific antibody (α-EAS antibody) for the determination of CagA status in Indonesia. We also confirmed the performance of α-EAS antibody for the detection of East Asian-type CagA H. pylori. Immunohistochemistry was performed using anti-CagA antibody and α-EAS antibody on gastric biopsy specimens from a total of 967 Indonesian patients. Diagnostic values of immunohistochemistry were evaluated with PCR-based sequencing as gold standard. Anti-CagA antibody had high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (87.0 %, 100 %, and 98.8 %, respectively) for determining CagA status. The α-EAS antibody was not suitable for the purpose of CagA status determination, as it had a low sensitivity (23.9 %). High specificity (97.6 %) but low sensitivity (41.2 %) and accuracy (66.3 %) was observed in α-EAS antibody to detect East Asian-type CagA. Patients with positive result of immunohistochemistry using anti-CagA antibody had significantly higher monocyte infiltration score in antrum (P < 0.001) and corpus (P = 0.009). In conclusion, the anti-CagA antibody is still suitable to be used in Indonesia for determining the CagA status, whilst the α-EAS antibody was not appropriate to discriminate between East Asian-type and non-East Asian-type CagA in Indonesia.

Keywords: Anti-East Asian CagA antibody; CagA typing; Immunohistochemistry; Infectious disease; anti-CagA antibody.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Bacterial / analysis*
  • Antigens, Bacterial / immunology
  • Gastric Mucosa / microbiology
  • Helicobacter pylori / classification*
  • Helicobacter pylori / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Indonesia

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antigens, Bacterial