Infection Is Associated with Decreased Expression of SLC5A8, a Cancer Suppressor Gene, in Young Children.

infects half of the world's population and causes gastric cancer in a subset of infected adults. Previous blood microarray findings showed that apparently healthy children, persistently infected with have differential gene expression compared to age-matched, non-infected children. SLC5A8, a cancer suppressor gene with decreased expression among infected children, was chosen for further study based on bioinformatics analysis. A pilot study was conducted using specific qRT-PCR amplification of SLC5A8 in blood samples from infected and non-infected children, followed by a larger, blinded, case-control study. We then analyzed gastric tissue from infected and non-infected children undergoing endoscopy for clinical purposes. Demographics, clinical findings, and family history were similar between groups. SLC5A8 expression was decreased in infected vs. non-infected children in blood, 0.12 (IQR: 0-0.89) vs. 1.86 (IQR: 0-8.94, = 0.002), and in gastric tissue, 0.08 (IQR: 0.04-0.15) vs. 1.88 (IQR: 0.55-2.56; = 0.001). Children who were both stool positive and seropositive for had the lowest SLC5A8 expression levels. infection is associated with suppression of SCL5A8, a cancer suppressor gene, in both blood and tissue samples from young children. Young children, persistently infected with show decreased expression of SLC5A8 mRNA in both blood and tissue samples as compared to non-infected children.