Figure 1

Dendrogram analysis based on 12 VNTR loci for the 202 H. pylori isolates. Clustering analysis of Neighbor-joining tree (N-J) was using the categorical distance coefficient and the wards method. From left to right, the columns designated to the 12 VNTR loci, the strain ID, geographic origin (location) and H. pylori related disease. NC, SC, EC and WC under the column of 'Region' stand for the Southern, Northern, Eastern and Western of China respectively. Disease NUD and G represents the non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) and gastritis. And diseases PU (peptic ulcer) comprise duodenal and gastric ulcer as well as disease GC is with the gastric cancer. The branches color code reflects the focus of origin, the same color of the columns stand for origin from the same geographic origin (location). Isolates from different regions showed a certain cluster tendency, as Tokyo isolates were clustered into Group A, Southern and Eastern China isolates were clustered into group B, Northern China were clustered into two major branches, groups C1 and C2. Western China isolates were clustered into group D. While there's no significant relationship between MTs and H. pylori related diseases.