Tyrosine kinase and ornithine decarboxylase activation in children with helicobacter pylori gastritis

Abstract H. pylori infection has been considered a risk factor for the development of gastric malignancy. Ornithine decarboxylase and tyrosine kinases activities are increased in patients with colon or esophageal cancer. In this study we compared the ODC and tyrosine kinases activities in the gastric mucosa of children with H. pylori infection and normal mucosa. Gastric biopsies were prospectively collected from children during routine upper endoscopic procedure. H. pylori infection was determined histologically. Biopsies were analyzed for ODC activity, total tyrosine kinases activities, and for the activity of protooncogene tyrosine kinase pp60 c-src . The mean ODC activity (pmol 14 CO2/mg. protein/hr) and total tyrosine kinases activity (pmol 32 P/mg. protein) were 186 and 5877 for H. pylori infected mucosa; and 229 and 4300, for normal mucosa, respectively ( p > 0.05). Tyrosine kinase pp60 c-src protein levels were similar between H. pylori infected mucosa and normal mucosa (3.12 and 2.15 pmol 32 P/mg. protein, respectively; p > 0.05). There was no correlation between gastric inflammation and the level of ODC or tyrosine kinase activities. ODC and tyrosine kinase activities in the gastric mucosa are similar in children with H. pylori infection compared to normal mucosa. The data suggest that these enzymes cannot be used as markers for future cancer development in children.