Comparative characteristics of cytokine regulation in patients with gastric diseases associated with <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> infection

Abstract

When the body is infected with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, a cytokine cascade is launched, which plays a key role in the progression of chronic inflammatory and destructive processes in the gastric mucosa. Thus, the secretion of a number of cytokines is stimulated, which in turn contribute to the attraction of immunocompetent cells and the development of inflammatory changes. However, hyperproduction of cytokines can lead to atrophic changes in the gastric mucosa and, as a result, degeneration into gastric cancer. Thus, the role of cytokines in precancerous conditions is ambiguous. On the one hand, they activate the immune response aimed at eliminating the pathogen. On the other hand, they themselves contribute to the progression of the disease.The complex clinical and laboratory study included patients: 60 with chronic gastritis (CG), 55 with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), 50 with gastric cancer (GC, stage I-II, morphological variant – adenocarcinoma) and 60 – control group. The diagnoses were verified according to international and Russian recommendations and confirmed by laboratory and instrumental studies. All patients were comparable in terms of gender and age characteristics (p > 0.05). All patients had specific IgG to H. pylori. The study was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the FRC KSC SB RAS (protocol No. 11 dated November 11, 2013). All ethical requirements were observed, and the patients signed the informed consent form for participation. Patients and persons of the control group underwent a single blood sampling from the cubital vein upon admission to vacutainers with heparin.The levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-8, TNFα, interferon-γ in the blood serum of patients and healthy individuals were determined using the enzyme immunoassay method using reagent kits manufactured by JSC “VectorBest”. Statistical data processing was carried out using the Statistica for Windows 8.0 application package.All patients with H. pylori-associated diseases (CG, CAG, GC) showed an increase in pro-inflammatory (IL-2, IL-8, IFNγ) with a significant increase in IL-8 in all patients and IFNγ in gastric cancer and antiinflammatory cytokine (IL-4) with a maximum value in gastric cancer. A combined Th1 and Th2 is found – a mediated immune response with a maximum violation of cytokine regulation in gastric cancer.