title: Coordinate increase of telomerase activity and c-Myc expression in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the telomerase activity and c-Myc expression in gastric diseases and to examine the relation between these values and Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) as a risk factor for gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and seventy-one gastric samples were studied to detect telomerase activity using a telomerase polymerase chain reaction enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (PCR-ELISA), and c-Myc expression using immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The telomerase activity and c-Myc expression were higher in cancers (87.69% and 61.54%) than in noncancerous tissues. They were higher in chronic atrophic gastritis with severe intestinal metaplasia (52.38% and 47.62%) than in chronic atrophic gastritis with mild intestinal metaplasia (13.33% and 16.67%). In chronic atrophic gastritis with severe intestinal metaplasia, the telomerase activity and c-Myc expression were higher in cases with H pylori infection (67.86% and 67.86%) than in those without infection (21.43% and 7.14%). c-Myc expression was higher in gastric cancer with H pylori infection (77.27%) than in that without infection (28.57%). The telomerase activity and c-Myc expression were coordinately up-regulated in H pylori infected gastric cancer and chronic atrophic gastritis with severe intestinal metaplasia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  H pylori infection may influence both telomerase activity and c-Myc expression in gastric diseases, especially in chronic atrophic gastritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China. guoxinz2002@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Guo-Xin
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Zhi-Quan
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shun-Fu
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hong-Ji
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong-Di
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hao
mesh_terms: D005756:Gastritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008679:Metaplasia; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D019098:Telomerase