Abstract
Background/Aims
Helicobacter pylori infection induces aberrant DNA methylation in gastric mucosa. We evaluated the long-term effect of H. pylori eradication on promotor CpG island hypermethylation in gastric carcinogenesis.
Methods
H. pylori-positive patients with gastric adenoma or early gastric cancer who underwent endoscopic resection were enrolled. According to H. pylori eradication after endoscopic resection, the participants were randomly assigned to H. pylori eradication or non-eradication group. H. pylori-negative gastric mucosa from normal participants provided the normal control. CpG island hypermethylation of tumor-related genes (p16, CDH1, and RUNX-3) was evaluated by quantitative MethyLight assay in non-tumorous gastric mucosa. The gene methylation rate and median values of hypermethylation were compared after one year by H. pylori status.
Results
In H. pylori-positive patients, hypermethylation of p16 was found in 80.6%, of CDH1 in 80.6%, and of RUNX-3 in 48.4%. This is significantly higher than normal control (p16, 10%; CDH1, 44%; RUNX-3, 16%) (p<0.05). In the H. pylori eradication group, methylation rates of p16 and CDH1 decreased in 58.1% and 61.3% of the patients, and the median values of hyper-methylation were significantly lower at one year compared with the non-eradication group. However, RUNX-3 hypermethylation did not differ significantly at one year after H. pylori eradication. The non-eradication group hypermethylation did not change after one year.
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Table 1.
Characteristic | Group | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Helicobacer pylori eradication | Non-eradication | p-value a | Normal control | |
Gender | 1.00 | |||
Male | 21 (67.7) | 22 (64.7) | 11 (61.1) | |
Female | 10 (32.3) | 12 (35.3) | 7 (38.9) | |
Age (yr) | 60.0 (50.0–66.0) | 59.5 (54.7–66.0) | 0.68 | 58.5 (50.0–67.5) |
Gastric atrophy | 0.42 | |||
Absent | 5 (16.1) | 2 (5.9) | 7 (38.9) | |
Mild | 6 (19.4) | 6 (17.6) | 9 (50.0) | |
Moderate | 11 (35.5) | 10 (29.4) | 2 (11.1) | |
Marked | 3 (9.7) | 6 (17.6) | 0 (0) | |
NA | 6 (19.4) | 10 (29.4) | 0 (0) | |
Intestinal metaplasia | 1.00 | |||
Absent | 1 (3.2) | 2 (5.9) | 11 (61.1) | |
Mild | 9 (29.0) | 8 (23.5) | 3 (16.7) | |
Moderate | 13 (41.9) | 19 (55.9) | 4 (22.2) | |
Marked | 8 (25.8) | 5 (14.7) | 0 (0) | |
Gastric atrophy or IM | 0.97 | |||
Absent | 1 (3.2) | 1 (2.9) | 7 (38.9) | |
Mild | 9 (29.0) | 9 (26.5) | 9 (50.0) | |
Moderate | 12 (38.7) | 15 (44.1) | 2 (11.1) | |
Marked | 9 (29.0) | 9 (26.5) | 0 (0) | |
H. pylori density | 0.75 | 0 (0) | ||
Mild | 10 (32.3) | 14 (41.2) | ||
Moderate | 14 (45.2) | 13 (38.2) | ||
Marked | 7 (22.6) | 7 (20.6) | ||
Neutrophilic inflammation | 0.25 | |||
Absent | 1 (3.2) | 0 (0) | ||
Mild | 0 (0) | 3 (8.8) | ||
Moderate | 25 (80.6) | 27 (79.4) | ||
Marked | 5 (16.1) | 4 (11.8) | ||
Mononuclear inflammation | 0.43 | |||
Absent | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||
Mild | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||
Moderate | 20 (64.5) | 25 (73.5) | ||
Marked | 11 (35.5) | 9 (26.5) | ||
Histology | 0.55 | |||
Low-grade dysplasia | 12 (38.7) | 10 (29.4) | 0 (0) | |
High-grade dysplasia | 4 (12.9) | 3 (8.8) | 0 (0) | |
Adenocarcinoma | 15 (48.4) | 21 (61.8) | 0 (0) | |
Well differentiated | 5 (16.1) | 11 (32.4) | ||
Moderately differentiated | 7 (22.6) | 6 (17.6) | ||
Poorly differentiated | 2 (6.5) | 1 (2.9) | ||
Signet ring cell | 1 (3.2) | 3 (8.8) | ||
Total | 31 (100) | 34 (100) | 18 (100) |
Table 2.
Variable | Group | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Helicobacter pylori eradication | Non-eradication | Normal control | ||||||
Baseline | 1 yr | p-value a | Baseline | 1 yr | p-value b | Baseline | p-value c | |
Methylated gene (%) | ||||||||
P16 | 80.6 | 58.1 | 1.00 | 71.1 | 84.2 | 0.33 | 10.0 | 0.01 |
RUNX-3 | 48.4 | 67.7 | 0.25 | 55.3 | 65.8 | 0.05 | 16.0 | 0.03 |
CDH1 | 80.6 | 61.3 | 1.00 | 97.4 | 100 | 1.00 | 44.0 | 0.01 |
Median methylation value (PMR) | ||||||||
P16 | 11.7 | 5.7 | 0.01 | 12.9 | 17.8 | 0.25 | 3.4 | 0.01 |
RUNX-3 | 2.2 | 9.8 | 0.41 | 30.5 | 50.4 | 0.18 | 13.9 | 0.01 |
CDH1 | 47.9 | 7.0 | 0.01 | 67.7 | 76.6 | 0.24 | 5.3 | 0.01 |
Patient (total, n) | 31 | 34 | 18 |