Considering the mutual relationship between redox disbalance and inflammation in Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection, we aimed to evaluate whether the polymorphisms in antioxidant glutathione transferases genes (GSTP1 rs1695, GSTP1rs1138272, GSTO1 rs4925 and GSTO2 rs156697) modify susceptibility to HP infection, as well as the severity of HP-associated gastric manifestation development. Therefore, GST gene polymorphisms were determined via the appropriate PCR in 101 HP-positive and 107 HP-negative patients. Our results show that carriers of the GSTP1*G/G variant genotype (rs1695) or at least one GSTP1*T variant allele (rs1138272) were more prone to the development of HP-positive gastritis compared with reference allele carriers (OR = 3.21, 95%CI = 1.15-8.91, p = 0.025 and OR = 2.31, 95%CI = 1.14-4.89, p = 0.021, respectively), which was confirmed by haplotype analysis. HP-positive carriers of the GSTO1*A variant allele showed increased risk of developing gastric atrophy and precancerous gastric lesions compared with the reference one (OR = 2.49, 95%CI:1.04-5.96, p = 0.04 and OR = 2.98, 95%CI = 1.21-7.34, p = 0.018, respectively). HP-positive carriers of the GSTO2*G variant allele were less prone to developing moderate/severe inflammatory infiltration (OR = 0.35, 95%CI = 1.04-5.96, p = 0.04), whereas the GSTP1*T variant allele was significantly associated with active inflammation (OR = 4.09, 95%CI = 1.04-5.96, p = 0.042). In conclusion, antioxidant GST genetic propensity seems to have an important impact on both acute and chronic forms of HP infection.
Keywords: GSTO1; GSTO2; GSTP1; Helicobacter pylori (HP); antioxidant gene variants.