Higher seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Korean adolescent athletes compared to age- and sex-matched non-athletes

Concurrent overexpression of serum p53 mutation related with Helicobacter pylori infection

Background & Aims

In the province of Cadiz (Spain), the adjusted mortality rate for gastric cancer in the coastal town of Barbate is 10/100.000 inhabitants, whereas in the inland town of Ubrique, the rate is twice as high. The rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection (H. pylori antibodies) in the normal population was 54% in Ubrique, but only 32% in Barbate. In the two decades since its original discovery, p53 has found a singularly prominent place in our understanding of human gastric cancer and H. pylori cause accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the mucosa compartment. This study was designed to compare serum levels of p53 in a population characterized by high mortality due to stomach cancer and a high prevalence of H. pylori infection and another population in which mortality from this cause and the prevalence of H. pylori infection are low.

Materials and methods

319 subjects from the low mortality population and 308 from the high mortality population were studied, as were 71 patients with stomach cancer. We measured serum immunoglobulin G antibody to H. pylori and serum mutant p53 protein and ceruloplasmin.

Results

The difference between the two populations in the prevalence of H. pylori infection was significant (p < 0.001). Of the seropositive, 81% had elevated values of mutant p53, in comparison with 11% of the seronegative (p < 0.0001). Serum concentration of ceruloplasmin was significantly higher in seropositive with elevated mutant p53 protein than in seronegative with normal levels of p53 (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

There is a significant association between infection with H. pylori, elevated titers of H. pylori antibodies, and positivity for serum mutant p53 protein. Such information can significantly increase our basic knowledge in molecular pathology of gastric cancer and protection against H. pylori infection.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation of a novel proton pump inhibitor, YH1885, in healthy volunteers

To evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of YH1885, a novel proton pump inhibitor, a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-rising, parallel-group study was conducted in 46 healthy volunteers. The volunteers were randomly allocated to single dose groups of 60 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg, and 300 mg (6 subjects per dose, including 2 placebos) or to multiple-dose groups of 150 mg and 300 mg (once-daily dosing for 7 days; 8 subjects per dose, including 2 placebos). The multiple-dose study was conducted separately after the single-dose study. YH1885 was administered orally after overnight fasting. Serial blood samples, urine samples, and pharmacodynamic measurements were taken. Drug concentrations in plasma and urine were determined by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Pharmacodynamic changes were evaluated by ambulatory intragastric pH monitoring and by serial measurements of serum gastrin concentrations. Assessments of safety and tolerability also were made. Plasma concentrations of YH1885 reached peak levels 1.3 to 2.5 hours after single-dose administration and then declined monoexponentially with a terminal half-life (t(1/2)) of 2.2 to 2.4 hours in dosage groups up to 200 mg in the single-dose study. YH1885 showed linear pharmacokinetic characteristics, and little accumulation occurred after multiple administrations. The parent drug was not detected in urine. Dose-related pharmacological effects were obvious for dose groups of 150 mg and higher in the single-dose study. The mean intragastric pH and the percentage of time at pH>4 were significantly increased. The onset of drug effect was rapid, and maximal effects were observed on the first day of administration during multiple dosing. Serum gastrin levels also showed rapid increases during dosing but with a weak dose-effect relationship. Neither serious nor dose-limiting adverse effects were observed. YH1885 was found to be safe and well tolerated and effectively inhibited acid secretion with dose-dependent increases in intragastric pH. The acid-suppressing efficacy of YH1885 needs to be further evaluated in patients with gastric acid-related diseases.