Abstract
Many
Helicobacter spp. were isolated from the stomach, intestinal tract, and liver of different animals and humans. The association between
Helicobacter spp. and hepatobiliary diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma, was thoroughly examined, indicating a potential role of the bacteria in the progression toward cancer. In our work, we screened 97 liver biopsies from patients with chronic liver diseases for the presence of
Helicobacter spp. DNA. With the use of genus-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and subsequent sequencing, we found that the majority of
Helicobacter spp. DNA detected was similar to
Helicobacter rodentium DNA (71%). The DNA of other detected
Helicobacter spp. was similar to
Helicobacter pylori DNA. This is the first indication of
H. rodentium-like DNA presence in human liver tissue. We also conclude that PCR–DGGE is a useful screening method for assigning species designation and heterogeneity.