Pathogens
Association of Gastric Microbiota with Gastric Cancer in Patients Infected with Helicobacter pylori
By Bekir Sami Kocazeybek, Kadir Bal, Seher Akkuş and 15 others.
Abstract
Background
The association between Helicobacter pylori and the resident gastric microbiota plays a critical role in gastric carcinogenesis; however, the specific microbial alterations accompanying the transition from chronic inflammation to malignancy remain to be fully elucidated. This study aimed to characterize the distinct bacterial signatures associated with gastric cancer (GC) and non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) within a Turkish cohort, evaluating these structural shifts in the context of the “hit-and-run” hypothesis.
Methods
Genomic DNA was isolated from 158 gastric biopsy specimens obtained from 96 individuals stratified into four homogeneous groups based on clinical H. pylori status and histopathological presentation: H. pylori-positive GC (Hp+GC, n = 37), H. pylori-negative GC (Hp-GC, n = 25), H. pylori-positive NUD (Hp+NUD, n = 17), and H. pylori-negative NUD (Hp-NUD, n = 17). Next-generation amplicon sequencing targeting the V3–V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene was executed, followed by strict quality filtering via the DADA2 pipeline and taxonomic classification against the SILVA database.