Effects of Helicobacter pylori Infection on Gastric Mucin... : Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology (original) (raw)

ALIMENTARY TRACT: Clinical Research

Kang, Hyung Min MD*; Kim, Nayoung MD* ‡; Park, Young Soo MD*; Hwang, Jin-Hyeok MD* ‡; Kim, Jin-Wook MD*; Jeong, Sook-Hyang MD*; Lee, Dong Ho MD* ‡; Lee, Hye Seung MD†; Jung, Hyun Chae MD‡; Song, In Sung MD‡

Departments of *Internal Medicine

†Pathology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do

‡Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Supported by the Korean Health 21 R&D Project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (#A060266).

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

The authors confirm that there is no financial arrangement with anyone.

Reprints: Nayoung Kim, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 300 Gumi-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, 463-707, South Korea (e-mail: [email protected]).

Received for publication January 20, 2007; accepted March 29, 2007

Abstract

Aims

This study was performed to determine the gastric distributions of MUC5AC and MUC6 depending on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, and to evaluate whether the expressions of MUC5 and MUC6 change in _H. pylori_-associated gastroduodenal diseases. In addition, MUC5AC and MUC6 expressional changes were investigated before and after H. pylori eradication.

Methods

In the 224 individuals (136 _H. pylori_-positive and 88 _H. pylori_-negative) who came from control (N=48), duodenal ulcer (N=35), benign gastric ulcer (N=61), dysplasia plus stomach cancer (N=80) groups, MUC5AC and MUC6 expressions were determined by immunohistochemical staining in the antrum and body, respectively. This staining for MUC5AC and MUC6 were reperformed in 113 of the 136 _H. pylori_-positive patients after successful H. pylori eradication by proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapy.

Results

(1) No difference was found between the _H. pylori_-positive and negative groups in terms of MUC5AC expression. In contrast, MUC6 expression was significantly lower in the _H. pylori_-positive group than in the _H. pylori_-negative group in the gastric body. Moreover, reduced MUC6 expression increased to the _H. pylori_-negative level after eradication. (2) Expressions of MUC5AC and MUC6 were significantly lower in the dysplasia plus cancer group than those of control in case of H. pylori positive. Similarly, MUC5AC and MUC6 expressions were significantly lower in the presence of atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia in case of H. pylori positive. (3) Aberrant expressions of MUC6 in foveolar cells were observed in both antrum (11.3%) and body (5.3%) only in the _H. pylori_-positive group, but this reverted to normal after H. pylori eradication.

Conclusion

These results suggest that H. pylori infection causes alterations of mucin expression, closely related with the development of gastric atrophy with intestinal metaplasia, probably contributing to carcinogenesis.