S100A8 and gastritis: All H. pylori strains in this study were positive for CagA, which is uncommon to other strains from the same region.11,21,22 The CagA protein is an important virulence protein, which is introduced into the host cell through a secretion system of type IV.23 It is responsible for enhancing inflammation in gastric mucosa by inducing DNA damage and oxidative stress leading to increased risk of gastric cancer.24 This may explain the presence of mild to severe gastritis in the majority of the patients in the study.