AIM: To investigate the prevalence of vacuolating cytotoxin (vacA), cytotoxin associated gene A (cagA) and blood adhesion binding antigen (babA2) genotypes of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) isolates from Cuban dyspeptic patients. METHODS: DNA was extracted from H pylori-positive cultures taken from 130 dyspeptic patients. Genotyping was performed by PCR, using specifi c primers for vacA (s1, s2, m1, m2), cagA and babA2 genes. Endoscopic observations and histological examinations were used to determine patient pathologies. RESULTS: vacA alleles s1 , s2 , m1 and m2 were detected in 96 (73.8%), 34 (26.2%), 75 (57.7%) and 52 isolates (40%), respectively, while the cagA gene was detected in 95 isolates (73.2%). One hundred and seven isolates (82.3%) were babA2-positive. A signif icant correlation was observed between vacAs1m1 and cagA and between vacAs1m1 and babA2 genotypes (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively) and between babA2 genotype and cagA status (P < 0.05); but, no correlation was observed between vacAs1 and babA2 genotypes. Eighty fi ve (65.4%) and 73 (56.2%) strains were type 1 (vacAs1-cagA-positive) and “triple- positive” (vacAs1-cagA-babA2-positive), respectively, and their presence was significantly associated with duodenal ulcer (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The distribution of the main virulence factors in the Cuban strains in this study resembled that of the Western-type strains, and the more virulent H pylori isolates were signifi cantly associated with duodenal ulcer, ulcer disease being the worst pathology observed in the group studied. AIM: To investigate the prevalence of vacuolating cytotoxin (vacA), cytotoxin associated gene A (cagA) and blood adhesion binding antigen (babA2) genotypes of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) isolates from Cuban dyspeptic patients. METHODS: DNA was extracted from H pylori -positive cultures taken from 130 dyspeptic patients. Genotyping was performed by PCR using primers for vacA (s1, s2, m1, m2), cagA and babA2 genes. Endoscopic observations and histological examinations were used to determine patient pathologies. RESULTS: vacA alleles s1, s2, m1 and m2 were detected in 96 (73.8%), 34 (26.2%), 75 (57.7%) and 52 isolates (40%), respectively, while the cagA gene was detected in 95 isolates %). One hundred and seven isolates (82.3%) were babA2-positive. A signif icant correlation was observed between vacAs1m1 and cagA and between vacAs1m1 and babA2 genotypes (P <0.001 and P <0.05, respectively) and between babA2 genotype and cagA status (P <0.05); but, no correlation was Eighty fi ve (65.4%) and 73 (56.2%) were type 1 (vacAs1-cagA-positive) and “triple- positive ” (vacAs1- cagA- babA2- positive) , and their presence was significantly associated with duodenal ulcer (P <0.01 and P <0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The distribution of the main virulence factors in the Cuban strain in this study resembled that of the Western-type strain, and the more virulent H pylori isolates were signifi cantly associated with duodenal ulcer, ulcer disease being the worst pathology observed in the group studied.