However, Hongyo et al, claimed that H. pylori infection was more common in patients without any mutation in p53 [22]. The development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for mutant p53 protein makes it possible to determine most mutant p53 proteins in humans and other mammals [23]. This test has been used to determine mutant p53 protein in the serum of apparently healthy persons with H. pylori infection, detected as the presence of antibodies to specific IgG [24], beacuse most patients infected with H. pylori

produce an easily LCZ696 in vitro identified systemic humoral immune responde, composed primarily of IgG. Circulating H. pylori antibodies persist at constant levels for years during infection. Mutant p53 proteins have a half-life of Erastin purchase approximately 24 h, whereas normal proteins have a half-life of about 20 min. It is this prolonged half-life which leads to the accumulation of detectable amounts of p53 protein [25]. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a group of highly reactive oxidative molecules implicated in the aging process, in several chronic inflammatory disorders, and in carcinogenic pathways in different epithelial districts [26]. An increase in cell ROS, be it due to overproduction

and/or scavenging inability, may result in severe damage to various cell components, including membranes, mitochondria, and YAP-TEAD Inhibitor 1 order nuclear as well as mitochondrial DNA [27]. Ceruloplasmin (CP) is a 132 kd cuproprotein which, together with transferrin, provides the majority of anti-oxidant capacity in serum. Cp is a serum ferroxidase that contains greater than 95% of the copper found in plasma. This protein is a member of the multicopper oxidase family, an evolutionarily conserved group of proteins that utilize copper to couple substrate oxidation with the four-electron reduction of oxygen to water. Despite the need for copper in ceruloplasmin function, this protein plays no essential role in the transport or metabolism of this metal [28, 29]. In this study, we sought to compare the relation between serum levels of mutant p53

protein and H. pylori infection in two populations of similar socioeconomic status, but with very different mortality rates for gastric cancer. A second objective was examine indirectly by measuring Immune system the serum concentration of the antioxidant ceruloplasmin in patients with evidence of H. pylori infection. Serum levels of ceruloplasmin usually vary inversely with serum nitrite levels [30–32]. Materials and methods Type of study This was a comparative, cross-sectional, case-control study of two populations with different rates of mortality from gastric cancer. This study has been ongoing since March 2002 to October 2005. Serum ceruloplasmin levels were also compared in patients with and without H. pylori infection, and in patients with and without mutant forms of p53. The investigators did not know whether the subject was positive or negative for H. pylori antibodies when they tested p53 status.