title: Profiling cellular bioenergetics, glutathione levels, and caspase activities in stomach biopsies of patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure biochemical parameters in stomach biopsies and test their suitability as diagnostic biomarkers for gastritis and precancerous lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsies were obtained from the stomachs of two groups of patients (n = 40) undergoing fiber-optic endoscopy due to upper gastrointestinal symptoms. In the first group (n = 17), only the corpus region was examined. Biopsies were processed for microscopic examination and measurement of mitochondrial O2 consumption (cellular respiration), cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), glutathione (GSH), and caspase activity. In the second group of patients (n = 23), both corpus and antral regions were studied. Some biopsies were processed for microscopic examination, while the others were used for measurements of cellular respiration and GSH level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microscopic examinations of gastric corpus biopsies from 17 patients revealed normal mucosae in 8 patients, superficial gastritis in 7 patients, and chronic atrophic gastritis in 1 patient. In patients with normal histology, the rate (mean ± SD) of cellular respiration was 0.17 ± 0.02 μmol/L O2 min(-1) mg(-1), ATP content was 487 ± 493 pmol/mg, and GSH was 469 ± 98 pmol/mg. Caspase activity was detected in 3 out of 8 specimens. The values of ATP and caspase activity were highly variable. The presence of superficial gastritis had insignificant effects on the measured biomarkers. In the patient with atrophic gastritis, cellular respiration was high and ATP was relatively low, suggesting uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation. In the second cohort of patients, the examined biopsies showed either normal or superficial gastritis. The rate of cellular respiration (O2. μmol/L min(-1) mg(-1)) was slightly higher in the corpus than the antrum (0.18 ± 0.05 vs 0.15 ± 0.04, P = 0.019). The value of GSH was about the same in both tissues (310 ± 135 vs 322 ± 155, P = 0.692).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The corpus mucosa was metabolically more active than the antrum tissue. The data in this study will help in understanding the pathophysiology of gastric mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Ali S Alfazari, Bayan Al-Dabbagh, Department of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Ali S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Alfazari
authors.affiliation: Ali S Alfazari, Bayan Al-Dabbagh, Department of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Bayan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Al-Dabbagh
authors.affiliation: Ali S Alfazari, Bayan Al-Dabbagh, Department of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Wafa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Al-Dhaheri
authors.affiliation: Ali S Alfazari, Bayan Al-Dabbagh, Department of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Mazen S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.affiliation: Ali S Alfazari, Bayan Al-Dabbagh, Department of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Ahmad A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Chebli
authors.affiliation: Ali S Alfazari, Bayan Al-Dabbagh, Department of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Fontagnier
authors.affiliation: Ali S Alfazari, Bayan Al-Dabbagh, Department of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Zaher
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Koutoubi
authors.affiliation: Ali S Alfazari, Bayan Al-Dabbagh, Department of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kochiyi
authors.affiliation: Ali S Alfazari, Bayan Al-Dabbagh, Department of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Sherif M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Karam
authors.affiliation: Ali S Alfazari, Bayan Al-Dabbagh, Department of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Abdul-Kader
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Souid
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D019069:Cell Respiration; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000201:enzymology; D013270:Stomach / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D020169:Caspases; D005978:Glutathione
keywords: Cellular respiration; Gastric mucosa; Gastritis; Mitochondria; Stomach