The influence of Helicobacter pylori eradication on the expression and methylation status of the FHIT gene in non-cancerous gastric mucosa of dyspeptic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication on the expression level of the FHIT gene and its methylation status in the gastric mucosa of dyspeptic patients with or without a family history of gastric cancer (FHGC). METHODS: In all, 31 patients with H. pylori infection including 13 with FHGC were enrolled in the study. The effectiveness of H. pylori eradication were confirmed by UBT, RUT and multiplex PCR (the presence of selected H. pylori strains) for biopsy samples from the antrum and corpus. Histopathological assessment was also performed. The expression of FHIT mRNA was determined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and the methylation status of the FHIT promoter was assessed by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: After H. pylori eradication, the improvement of inflammation from superficial gastritis to normal mucosa (G → N) was observed in 39% of the patients without FHGC and in 54% of those with FHGC. FHIT mRNA expression was increased in patients without FHGC after H. pylori eradication (P < 0.05), while there was no statistically significant change in gene methylation status after H. pylori eradication (P > 0.05). For the samples from those with FHGC, the FHIT mRNA expression was not significantly changed and the methylation status fluctuated evenly. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori eradication results in the improvement of gastric mucosal inflammation and histopathological non-atrophic changes. The FHIT gene expression is increased in patients without FHGC, which may contribute to the prevention of GC development.

The heterogeneous immune microenvironment in breast cancer is affected by hypoxia-related genes.

The immune system constitutes an important first-line defence against malignant transformation. However, cancer mediated immunosuppression inactivates the mechanisms of host immune surveillance. Cancer cells shut down anti-cancer immunity through direct cell-cell interactions with leukocytes and through soluble factors, establishing an immunosuppressive environment for unimpeded cancer growth. The composition of the immunosuppressive microenvironment in breast tumours is not well documented. To address this question, selected immunosuppressive factors were analyzed in tumour specimens from 33 breast cancer patients after surgery. The mRNA expression of selected genes was quantified in fresh tumour samples. Tumour infiltrating leukocytes were characterized by flow cytometry to identify regulatory T cells, myeloid derived suppressor cells, and type 2 macrophages. Statistical analysis revealed several interesting correlations between the studied parameters and clinical features. Overall, a surprisingly high degree of heterogeneity in the composition of the immunosuppressive environment was found across all breast cancer samples which adds to the complexity of this disease. The influence of the hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) on the immune microenvironment was also addressed. The level of HIFs correlated with hormone receptor status and the expression of several immunosuppressive molecules. Targeting HIFs might not only sensitize breast tumours for radiation and chemotherapies but also interfere with cancer immunosuppression.

[Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on the expression level of SATB1 and c-Myc genes in gastric mucosa of patients with family history of gastric cancer]. / Wplyw eradykacji Helicobacter pylori na poziom ekspresji genów SATB1 i c-Myc w blonie sluzowej zoladka u pacjentów z dyspepsja w zaleznosci od rodzinnego obciazenia wystepowaniem raka zoladka.

UNLABELLED: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a class 1 gastric carcinogen with the proved influence on gastric cancer development. The products of SATB1 and c-Myc genes play important role in cancer development and their levels are elevated in gastric cancer tissues. The aim of the study was to analyze an effect of H. pylori eradication on the expression of the SATB1 and c-Myc genes in the gastric mucosa of dyspeptic patients with family history of gastric cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty patients enrolled to the studies were divided into two groups: nine patients (group I) without the family history of gastric cancer, and eleven patients with the family history of gastric cancer (group II). Endoscopic biopsies of gastric mucosa were taken from the antrum and corpus of H. pylori-infected subjects before and after bacteria eradication. The corresponding levels of expression were determined by analysis of the respective mRNA levels with the use of the real-time RT-PCR method. The level of each mRNA was normalized to the levels of mRNA of two reference genes, RPL29 and GAPDH. RESULTS: Independently of stomach topography, the antrum versus corpus, in the group I patients the levels of mRNA of SATB1 and c-Myc after eradication were higher in the following cases: SATB1/ GAPDH p = 0.017914 (antrum); SATB1/RPL29 p = 0.046400 (corpus); SATB1/GAPDH p = 0.027709 (corpus). For group II patients no statistically significant increase of the level of the c-Myc and SATB1 genes was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with the family history of gastric cancer and H. pylori infection, with reversible histopathological changes of the gastric mucosa, have significantly higher levels of SATB1 and c-Myc genes expression as compared to the patients without family history of gastric cancer, regardless of the topography of the stomach. After successful eradication, the SATB1 mRNA level in samples of patients with the family history of gastric cancer did not increase, in contrast to the control group of patients. Presumably, the observed effect is associated with hypermethylation of the promoter of that gene. However, the level of c-Myc gene expression was not significantly different before and after removal of the bacteria, for both groups of patients.

Family history of gastric cancer correlates with decreased expression of HINT1 tumor suppressor gene in gastric mucosa of dyspeptic patients.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Approximately 10% of gastric cancers are hereditary and a small percentage of these cases (1-3%) have been classified as a single hereditary syndrome (hereditary diffuse gastric cancer). We previously demonstrated that a family history of gastric cancer (FHGC) contributes to a predisposition towards the development of gastric cancer. Our data revealed that for dyspeptic patients whose first-degree relative(s) succumbed to GC, the levels of the fragile histidine triad pro-apoptotic protein in gastric mucosa were decreased. Another member of the histidine triad protein superfamily is histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 1 (HINT1), a novel tumor suppressor that plays an inhibitory role in the control of gene transcription. The study comprised 38 ethnically homogeneous patients with dyspeptic symptoms without concomitant chronic diseases (18 controls/20 patients with FHGC). The results showed that the samples from the control patients predominantly exhibited non-atrophic changes (approximately 90%), whereas atrophic changes occurred more frequently in patients with FHGC. Notably, the expression levels of the HINT1 gene were markedly higher in the samples with atrophy taken from the antrum of FHGC patients compared to the non-atrophic samples. Moreover, the levels of HINT1 mRNA in samples obtained from the antrum of patients with FHGC were lower compared to analogous samples from the control individuals. The decreased levels of HINT1 mRNA in the antrum samples of patients with the FHGC indicate that it is a factor predisposing those patients to the development of gastric cancer.

The Cys326 allele of the 8-oxoguanine DNA N-glycosylase 1 gene as a risk factor in smoking- and drinking-associated larynx cancer.

Tobacco smoke-related products and ethanol would induce oxidative modifications to the DNA bases, thereby contributing to larynx cancer. Human 8-oxoguanine DNA N-glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) deals with oxidative DNA damage, and the base changes in the hOGG1 gene may alter the susceptibility of the human cells to tobacco smoke-related compounds and/or ethanol. In the present work, we investigated the association between smoking, drinking or the Ser326Cys polymorphism of the hOGG1 gene and the risk of larynx cancer in a Polish population. It has been reported that the Ser326 allele exhibits higher activity than the Cys326 variant. In this study, 253 age-matched controls and 253 patients with larynx cancer were enrolled. The polymorphism was determined with DNA from blood lymphocytes by polymerase chain reaction. The frequencies (%) of the genotypes were Ser/Ser 65.6, Ser/Cys 30.4, and Cys/Cys 4.0 in the controls and those in patients were 55.7, 36.0 and 8.3, respectively. Stratification of individuals according to their smoking and drinking habits indicated that these habits might be significant risk factors in larynx cancer. The Ser/Cys and Cys/Cys genotypes are significantly associated with the increased risk of larynx cancer. These genotypes increased the risk ratio of larynx cancer among heavy smokers, but did not change the risk in former smokers and moderate smokers. These genotypes also increased the risk of larynx cancer in moderate and heavy drinkers. Therefore, the Cys326 allele of the hOGG1 gene may increase the risk of larynx cancer associated with smoking or alcohol consumption.