Dysregulated Expression of miRNA-۲۲۱, miRNA-۲۱, and lncRNA H۱۹ as Potential Predictors of Treatment Response and Gastric Cancer Progression in H. pylori-induced Gastric Ulcers

The development of gastric ulcers and their potential progression to gastric cancer may be associated with changes in inflammatory and immune responses, as well as variations in the expression of non-coding RNAs. However, research on the co-expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in patients with gastric ulcers (GU) and gastric cancer (GC) is limited. This study focused on analyzing the expression levels of H۱۹ and its related microRNAs, miR-۲۲۱ and miR-۲۱, in plasma samples collected from two patient groups: those with genitourinary (GU) cancers who were responding to treatment and those with GC cancers who were not. The objective was to compare the expression patterns of these RNA molecules between the two groups. Methods: This study examined the expression levels of lncRNA H۱۹ and associated microRNAs (miR-۲۲۱ and miR-۲۱) in the plasma of patients with GU responding to treatment, compared to those with GC who were not responding. The research involved ۸۰ participants, all confirmed to have Helicobacter pylori infection, sourced from Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz. Among them, ۴۰ had GC that developed from prior Helicobacter pylori ulcers, while the other ۴۰ were in the early stages of Helicobacter pylori ulcers. The study found that altered expression of these non-coding RNAs was linked to disease progression, indicating their potential as biomarkers. Results: The study revealed that lncRNA H۱۹ levels were significantly higher in patients with GC than those with GU, while miR-۲۲۱ and miR-۲۱ levels were notably lower. These non-coding RNAs were associated with disease duration and inflammatory markers. miR-۲۲۱ showed strong diagnostic accuracy, and the combination of miR-۲۲۱ and miR-۲۱ further improved the ability to differentiate between GC and GU. Additionally, lncRNA H۱۹ exhibited the highest diagnostic accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity for identifying late-stage gastric cancer. Conclusion: The results indicate that the serum expression levels of miR-۲۲۱, miR-۲۱, and lncRNA H۱۹ could be used as a potential prognostic panel to predict treatment responses in gastric ulcers and their progression to gastric cancer. Furthermore, these non-coding RNAs might also serve as early diagnostic biomarkers for GC.

کلیدواژه ها:

microRNA ، LncRNA H۱۹ ، biomarker ، H. pylori ، gastric cancer