Analysis of the influence of Helicobacter pylori infection on the methylation pattern of genes related to gastric carcinogenesis

Helicobacter pylori infection is usually acquired in childhood and persists into adulthood if untreated. It is known that the bacterium induces a chronic inflammatory response, which is associated with epigenetic alterations in oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes and DNA repair genes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Helicobacter pylori infection on the methylation pattern of genes related to gastric carcinogenesis. The methylation pattern of 106 genes was characterized in gastric biopsies samples from 5 adult patients (1 H. pylori negative, 3 chronic gastritis infected with strains of different toxicities, and 1 gastric cancer) and DNA extracted from co--cultured cells infected with H. pylori. These analyses were performed with Promoter methylation array system, and Gastric Cancer Methyl--Profiler DNA PCR Array. The results showed that 20 % of genes were methylated in gastric cancer mucosa and 16% were hyper methylated in the mucosa of the chronic gastritis patients. The comparative analysis showed that 8,5 % of genes were methylated in both samples. The results from the co culture showed that 12% of genes were methylated. Among them the following genes were selected: THBS1, HIC1, GATA--4, GATA--5 e MLH1 e MGMT and evaluated in 239 gastric biopsies samples from 50 children and 97 adults infected or uninfected by H. pylori, and 92 adults with gastric cancer. The methylation pattern was analyzed by methylation specific PCR (MSP--PCR). The results from pediatric samples showed no methylation for MLH1, MGMT and HIC1 genes, independent of the infection status. Among the infected adults samples the higher levels of methylation were observed for GATA--4 e THBS1 (p<0.05), MGMT e GATA--5 (p<0.001). Higher levels of methylation were observed for MGMT e GATA--5 (p<0.05, p<0.001, respectively) in gastric cancer samples. It was observed an increase in microsatellite instability among gastric cancer samples, related to hyper methylation of MLH1. The expression levels of GATA--5 and TFF1 was analyzed in vitro. The results from infected cells showed an up regulation at 6, 24, and 48 for GATA-5 and at 48 h for TFF1. This increase was independent of cagPAI status. In an animal model an up regulation of GATA--5 was observed after six months of infection. A decrease in TFF1 mRNA levels was observed in infected children and adults samples methylated in GATA--5 promoter region. These data suggest that promoter hyper methylation occurs in gastric mucosa of children in association with H. pylori infection, however for some loci as MGMT and MLH1 this event seems to be dependent on the time of exposure. Furthermore it was observed an increase in methylation frequencies in adults samples compared to pediatric samples suggesting that the duration of the infection is related to methylation levels (AU)