Expression of NF-κB mRNA in Helicobacter pylori Positive Iraqi Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are caused by a combination of variables, including environmental, host-related, and nutritional factors. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an environmental risk factor for many GIT disorders and is designated as a class I carcinogen. Aim: To investigate the prevalence of H. pylori in Iraqi patients diagnosed with IBD and CRC and the expression of NF-κB mRNA in those patients. Methods: Patients with GIT symptoms were tested for the existence of IBD and CRC in a cross-sectional observational study. In biopsies taken from GIT lesions, biochemical and histochemical approaches are employed to determine the presence of H. pylori and the expression of NF-κB mRNA. Results: H. pylori tests were positive in 33.3% of CRC patients, although this was not statistically significant compared to those who had negative testing. Only 63.3% of IBD patients had H. pylori infection. In the CRC group, 53.3% of patients had negative NF-κB expression, whereas all of the patients in the IBD group had a negative test. Conclusion: Patients with CRC had a high prevalence of H. pylori, whereas IBD patients had a low frequency. Patients with CRC had high levels of NF-κB mRNA expression, whereas patients with IBS had none.