title: Reduced expression of sulfatides and galactosylceramide 3'-sulfotransferase in the gastric mucosa of chronic gastritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sulfatides highly expressed in the normal gastric mucosa play important roles in gastric mucosal protection. However, it is unknown whether the sulfatides expression changes in chronic gastritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sulfatides expression levels were examined with immunohistochemical staining in 77 specimens obtained from resected human stomachs, followed by the measurement of optical density of the staining under digital microscopy. For mRNA expression analysis of GalCer (galactosylceramide)-sulfotransferase and arylsulfatase A using a quantitative real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, 64 biopsy specimens were endoscopically taken from the gastric corpus of out patients. Mucosal changes were scored under microscopic observations according to the updated Sydney System classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sulfatides expression decreased along with the progression of mucosal atrophy and lymphocytes infiltration, and was barely observed in intestinal metaplasia. The mRNA expression of GalCer-sulfotransferase, a biosynthetic enzyme for sulfatides, also decreased along with the progression of mucosal atrophy and lymphocytes infiltration. In contrast, mRNA expression of arylsulfatase A, which degrades sulfatides, was not altered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of sulfatides and GalCer-sulfotransferase in the gastric mucosa of chronic gastritis is selectively reduced according to the mucosal atrophy and inflammation. Decreased expression of sulfatides may attribute to the deterioration of mucosal protection in chronic gastritis.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan. osawa@jichi.ac.jp
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Osawa
authors: Hirohide
authors: H
authors: Ohnishi
authors: Hiroto
authors: H
authors: Kita
authors: Toru
authors: T
authors: Igari
authors: Yukiko
authors: Y
authors: Hayashi
authors: Masao
authors: M
authors: Iwamori
authors: Masanobu
authors: M
authors: Kawakami
authors: Kentaro
authors: K
authors: Sugano
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D002553:Cerebroside-Sulfatase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013433:Sulfoglycosphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D015238:Sulfotransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013433:Sulfoglycosphingolipids; D015238:Sulfotransferases; C020556:galactosylceramide sulfotransferase; D002553:Cerebroside-Sulfatase