Understanding the molecular basis of how sequence polymorphism of the H. pylori virulence factor CagL influences gastric cancer risks in H. pylori-infected patients.

H. pylori is a common type of bacteria found in the stomach. It can cause inflammation, ulcers and changes to cells in the lining of the stomach. While H. pylori can increase the risk, not all people infected with H. pylori will develop stomach cancer. This thesis examines how genetic variation of an important bacterial protein, H. pylori CagL, could influence the risk of developing gastric cancer. It identifies possible protein types that can measurably modulate host responses during H. pylori infection. It establishes that CagL could be used as a biomarker to identify H. pylori infected individuals prone to gastric cancer.