Abstract: Objective To investigate the correlation between helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and HIF-1α expression in patients with gastric polyps. Methods A total of 134 cases of gastric polyps and 73 cases of gastric cancer were randomly selected as the experimental groups, and 117 cases of chronic gastritis served as the control group. The Hp infection in different parts of gastric polyps was detected with improved Giemsa staining; the protein expression of HIF- 1α was examined with immunohistochemistry; HIF-1α expression at both mRNA and protein levels were assessed with RT-PCR and Western blotting. The status of Hp infection and the levels of HIF-1α expression were statistically analyzed. Results Giemsa staining showed that the highest Hp infection rate appeared in chronic gastritis (80.34%), followed by gastric polyps (80.00%). Immunohistochemical examination displayed that the highest rate of positive HIF-1α expression occurred in gastric cancer and adenomatous polyp groups, accounting for 91.78% (67 cases) and 80.00% (4 cases), respectively. RT-PCR showed that the highest HIF-1α mRNA content was in stomach mucosa tissue of cancer, followed by that in adenomatous polyp. Western blotting showed that expression level of HIF-1α in gastric mucosa tissue of cancer was the highest, followed by that in adenomatous polyp, with statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01). Conclusion Gastric polyps may associate with Hp infection and the HIF-1α protein expression of patients with gastric polyp is positive. However, the relationship between Hp infection and HIF-1α expression that influences the pathogenesis of gastric polyps remains to be further studied.

Key words: Gastric polyps, HIF-1α, Helicobacter pylori