Polymorphisms of Two Fucosyltransferase Genes (Lewis and Secretor Genes) Involving Type I Lewis Antigens Are Associated with the Presence of Anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG Antibody

Polymorphisms of Two Fucosyltransferase Genes (Lewis and Secretor Genes) Involving Type I Lewis Antigens Are Associated with the Presence of Anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG Antibody1

Division of Oncological Pathology [Y. I., H. Y., T. K., N. S., K. I., M. T.] and Epidemiology and Prevention [K. M., N. H.], Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, and Division of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital [Y. K., Y. Y.], Nagoya 464-8681, and Division of Cell Biology, Institute of Life Science, Soka University, Tokyo 192-8577 [S. N., H. N.], Japan

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori attach to the gastric mucosa with adhesin, which binds to Lewis b (Le^b) or H type I carbohydrate structures. The Secretor (Se) gene and Lewis (Le) gene are involved in type I Le antigen synthesis. The present study was performed to investigate the possibility that Se and Le gene polymorphisms alter the risk of H. pylori infection. Two hundred thirty-nine participants were genotyped for Se and Le and tested for the presence of anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies. Using the normal gastric mucosa from 60 gastric cancer patients, we assessed immunohistochemically whether type I Le antigen expression depended on the Se and Le genotypes. The H. pylori infection rate was positively associated with the number of Se alleles (se/se group, 45.1%; Se/se group, 64.6%; and Se/Se group, 73.3%) and negatively associated with the number of Le alleles (le/le group, 76.4%; Le/le group, 68.3%; and Le/Le group, 55.6%). When the subjects were classified into three groups [low risk, (se/se, Le/Le) genotype; high risk, (Se/Se, le/le), (Se/Se, Le/le), and (Se/se, le/le) genotypes; moderate risk, other than low- or high-risk group], the odds ratio relative to the low-risk group was 3.30 (95% confidence interval, 1.40–7.78) for the moderate-risk group and 10.33 (95% confidence interval, 3.16–33.8) for the high-risk group. Immunohistochemical analysis supported the finding that Se and Le genotypes affected the expression of H. pylori adhesin ligands. We conclude that Se and Le genotypes affect susceptibility to H. pylori infection.

Footnotes

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↵1 This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for the Second Term Comprehensive 10-Year Strategy for Cancer Control from the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan, and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
↵2 To whom requests for reprints should addressed, at Division of Oncological Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan. Phone and Fax: 81-52-764-2972; E-mail: yikehara{at}aichi-cc.pref.aichi.jp
↵3 The abbreviations used are: Le^b, Lewis b; Le^a, Lewis a; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; Se gene, Secretor gene; Le gene, Lewis gene; d.f., degree of freedom.
↵4 The alternative names of Secretor (Se) and Lewis (Le) enzyme are FUT2 or Fuc-T II, and FUT3 or Fuc-T III, respectively.
- Accepted July 5, 1901.
- Received February 9, 1901.
- Revision received June 29, 1901.