Ribosomal RNA gene patterns of Helicobacter pylori from surgical patients with healed and recurrent peptic ulcers.

Fifty-two strains of Helicobacter pylori were examined by DNA restriction endonuclease digestion, ribosomal (r)RNA gene probe hybridization and biotyping. Most (49) strains originated from gastric (antral) biopsies of patients before or after elective surgery for duodenal ulcers. Chromosomal DNA Hind III ribopatterns showed 9 strain clusters of which the largest contained 12 strains each with 3 common bands (1.50, 3.45, and 4.26 kb) but which were heterogeneous with respect to biotype and total digest pattern. Isolates from post-operative patients with either healed or recurrent ulcers showed ribopattern heterogeneity and exhibited a similar distribution of H. pylori ribopattern types; no single type predominated in any patient group or was more highly associated with recurrent ulcers than with healed ulcers. Multiple isolates from two surgical patients had only minor genomic variations in each set whereas isolates from two brothers had different ribopatterns. We conclude that Hind III ribopatterns in conjunction with total digest patterns might provide the basis for future epidemiological typing studies.