Presence of human mycoplasma DNA in gastric tissue samples from Korean chronic gastritis patients.
We aimed to determine whether mycoplasmas are present in Korean chronic gastritis, and to understand their roles in gastric cancer tumorigenesis, because mycoplasmas resemble Helicobacter pylori in terms of ammonia production and induction of inflammatory cytokines in immune and non-immune cells. The presence and identity of mycoplasmas were assessed by semi-nested PCR and sequencing, and the results were compared with pathologic data. Fifty-six samples collected from Korean chronic gastritis patients were used for this study. Twenty-three (41.1%) were positive for mycoplasmas. Eighteen sequenced samples contained a single human mycoplasma or two mycoplasmas, which were identified as Mycoplasma faucium (13/18), M. fermentans (3/18), M. orale (1/18), M. salivarium (2/18), and M. spermatophilum (1/18). Mycoplasma-infected chronic gastritis samples showed significantly more severe neutrophil infiltration than non-infected samples (P = 0.0135). Mycoplasma profiles in the oral cavity (M. salivarium is major) and stomach were different, and the presence of significant proinflammatory responses in mycoplasma-positive patients suggests that the mycoplasmas are not simply contaminants. Further studies are required to understand whether mycoplasmas play a role in gastric tumorigenesis.
Kwon
Hyuk-Joon
HJ
Institute of iNtRON Biotechnology, Seongnam, Teju 690-756, Korea.
Kang
Jeong-Ok
JO
Cho
Sun-Hee
SH
Kang
Hee-Bum
HB
Kang
Kyung-Ah
KA
Kim
Jeong-Ki
JK
Kang
Yoon-Suk
YS
Song
Byung-Cheol
BC
Kang
Hyun-Wook
HW
Shim
Mi-Ja
MJ
Kim
Hee-Sun
HS
Kim
Young-Bae
YB
Hahm
Ki-Baeg
KB
Kim
Bum-Joon
BJ
Kook
Myeong-Cherl
MC
Chung
Myung-Hee
MH
Hyun
Jin-Won
JW
D002908:Chronic Disease; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D016858:Mycoplasma fermentans / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D045804:Mycoplasma salivarium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000382:microbiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013270:Stomach / Q000382:microbiology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial