The effect of Helicobacter pylori on the gastric expression of LOX-1 and CD-36: the role of CRP and ox-LDL

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) concentrations on the expression of lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LOX-1) and cluster of differentiation 36 (CD-36) genes in gastric biopsies of individuals with and without Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.Methods and Results: In this cross-sectional study, we investigated 74 subjects based on gastritis and H. pylori infection in three groups. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure serum levels of high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) and ox-LDL. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was run to compare LOX-1 and CD-36 gene expression.Comparison of LOX-1 gene expression in H. pylori and gastritis positive (P = 0.025) and H. pylori-negative and gastritis-positive (P = 0.010) to H. pylori and gastritis-negative groups showed a significant difference. CD-36 expression levels were lower in the H. pylori and gastritis positive group than in the non-gastritis and H. pylori group (p = 0.051). Although there was a weak correlation between serum hs-CRP concentration and LOX-1 expression (r = 0.219, P = 0.058), there was no correlation between serum levels of ox-LDL and LOX-1 expression and CD-36.Conclusion: Based on the investigation results, two factors, H. pylori, and gastritis increase LOX-1 expression and decrease CD-36 expression. Based on our results, an increase in plasma hs-CRP levels may be associated with an increase in LOX-1 expression.