Coordinate increase of telomerase activity and c-Myc expression in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric diseases.
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.
Zhang
Guo-Xin
GX
Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China. guoxinz2002@yahoo.com
Gu
Yan-Hong
YH
Zhao
Zhi-Quan
ZQ
Xu
Shun-Fu
SF
Zhang
Hong-Ji
HJ
Wang
Hong-Di
HD
Hao
Bo
B
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
D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D019098:Telomerase