Helicobacter pylori immunoproteomics in gastric cancer and gastritis of the carcinoma phenotype

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori infection is linked to the development of gastric cancer. Atrophic body gastritis is considered the first important step in the histogenesis of such neoplasia. H. pylori infection is involved in the induction of atrophic body gastritis, but documentation of H. pylori infection is difficult because of the progressive disappearance of the bacterium. Host–pathogen interactions may be investigated by means of immunoproteomics, which provides global information regarding the host humoral response to H. pylori infection and allows the identification of relevant specific and nonspecific antigens, and can be used for diagnostic or prognostic purposes. In the present review, we describe how several research groups used H. pylori immunoproteomics to investigate highly immunoreactive bacterial antigens related to the development of gastric cancer.

Keywords::

• atrophic gastritis
• gastric cancer
• gastritis of the carcinoma phenotype
• Helicobacter pylori
• immunoblotting
• immunoproteomics
• proteomics

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by MIUR PRIN 2005–2007 University Sapienza to Bruno Annibale and Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena Esercizio 2008 and Toscana Life Sciences Foundation Orphan 0108 grants to Annalisa Santucci. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.