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World J Gastroenterol. Sep 28, 2014; 20(36): 12860-12873
Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.12860
Helicobacter pylori infection, gastrin and cyclooxygenase-2 in gastric carcinogenesis
Yun Shao, Kun Sun, Wei Xu, Xiao-Lin Li, Hong Shen, Wei-Hao Sun
Yun Shao, Kun Sun, Wei Xu, Xiao-Lin Li, Wei-Hao Sun, Department of Geriatric Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Hong Shen, Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: Shao Y and Sun WH designed and wrote the paper; Sun K, Xu W and Li XL analyzed the literature; Shen H and Sun WH checked and revised the manuscript.
Supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81072030 and No. 81372659; and a Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD)
Correspondence to: Wei-Hao Sun, MD, PhD, Department of Geriatric Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China. swh@njmu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-25-68135153  Fax: +86-25-83780170
Received: November 27, 2013
Revised: March 12, 2014
Accepted: May 29, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Processing time: 308 Days and 19.4 Hours
Abstract

Gastric cancer is one of the most frequent neoplasms and a main cause of death worldwide, especially in China and Japan. Numerous epidemiological, animal and experimental studies support a positive association between chronic Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and the development of gastric cancer. However, the exact mechanism whereby H. pylori causes gastric carcinogenesis remains unclear. It has been demonstrated that expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is elevated in gastric carcinomas and in their precursor lesions. In this review, we present the latest clinical and experimental evidence showing the role of gastrin and COX-2 in H. pylori-infected patients and their possible association with gastric cancer risk.

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; Gastrin; Cyclooxygenase-2; Gastric cancer

Core tip:Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most common pathogens, infecting approximately half of the world’s population. It is well known that H. pylori infection has been associated with an elevated risk of developing gastric carcinoma. In this review, we present the latest clinical and experimental evidence showing the role of gastrin and cyclooxygenase-2 in H. pylori-infected patients and their possible association with gastric cancer risk.