title: Gastric epithelial cell proliferation and ras oncogene p21 expression in first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Individuals with a family history of gastric cancer have an increased risk of developing such neoplasia. This study aimed to assess epithelial cell proliferation and ras oncogene mutation in such individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty dyspeptic, first-degree relatives of patients with gastric cancer and 20 matched controls were enrolled. Endoscopy with biopsies was performed in all cases. Gastric specimens were used to look for Helicobacter pylori infection and to assess both epithelial cell proliferation and ras oncogene expression by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cell proliferation values were not significantly different between the patient and control groups (18.1 +/- 7.1 versus 18.9 +/- 7.4; P = 0.7). Overall, ras mutation was detected in five out of 40 cases, and its distribution was similar between patients and controls (20 versus 10%; P = 0.9), as well as between H. pylori-positive and negative patients (22 versus 9%; P = 0.2). Cell proliferation values tended to be higher in cases with ras mutation than in those without (25.2 +/- 9.4 versus 16.8 +/- 5.8; P = 0.08). Cell proliferation values were significantly higher in H. pylori-positive cases compared with uninfected cases, in both patient (24.7 +/- 4.7 versus 12.5 +/- 2.4; P = 0.0003) and control (25.9 +/- 4.8 versus 13.3 +/- 2.8; P = 0.0003) groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both gastric cell proliferation values and ras mutation prevalence did not differ between first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients and controls. H. pylori infection similarly increased the proliferation index of gastric mucosa in both groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, Nuovo Regina Margherita Hospital, Rome, Italy. gastroroma@virgilio.it
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marangi
authors.forename: Osvaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Burattini
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romiti
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Francesco
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Panella
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morini
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ierardi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015689:Oncogene Protein p21(ras) / Q000378:metabolism*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015689:Oncogene Protein p21(ras)