Saba Hariri Monfared - Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Medicine Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Mina Yaghoub Kazemi
Fahimeh Nemati Mansoor - Department of Biotechnology, Medicine Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Mahnaz Mohammadi - Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Islamshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Islamshahr, Iran

Introduction. Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the primary etiological factors associated with gastric carcinogenesis. This study investigated the expression of microRNAs, miR-۲۰a, miR-۳۰a, miR-۲۱۰, and miR-۸۷۴, in H. pylori-infected patients with and without gastric cancer (GC) compared to healthy subjects. Methods. Total RNA was extracted from the plasma of H. pylori-infected GC patients (n=۴۰), H. pylori-infected patients (n=۴۰), and healthy individuals (n=۱۲). The expression of microRNAs was analyzed using a reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) technique. Results. The miR-۲۰a, miR-۳۰a, miR-۲۱۰, and miR-۸۷۴ exhibited higher overexpression in H. pylori-infected GC patients than healthy persons (P=۰.۰۰۴, ۰.۰۳۳, ۰.۰۲۳, ۰.۰۲۴). The H. pylori-positive patients without GC also had higher miR-۲۰a, miR-۳۰a, and miR-۲۱۰ levels than the healthy individuals (P= ۰.۰۱۳, ۰.۰۳۶, ۰.۰۳۲). There were no statistical differences between H. pylori-infected GC patients and H. pylori-infected patients without GC Conclusion. The microRNAs overexpression in H. pylori-infected patients with GC might be linked to H. pylori rather than GC. Therefore, these microRNAs can be helpful in H. pylori infection diagnosis rather than predicting GC. in H. pylori-infected patients.

Gastric cancer, Helicobacter pylori, MicroRNAs, RT-qPCR