Decrease of miR-125a-5p in Gastritis and Gastric Cancer and Its Possible Association with H. pylori.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of miR-125a-5p in patients with dyspeptic symptoms and gastric cancer, correlating them with the development of this cancer and H. pylori. METHODS Patients were divided in groups according to histopathological analysis (control, gastritis, and cancer groups). Polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect H. pylori and real-time quantitative PCR to determine miR-125a-5p expression. RESULTS H. pylori was detected in 44% of the patients, with prevalence in the gastritis and cancer groups. A statistically significant decrease of miR-125a-5p expression was found in the control positive (p = 0.0183*), gastritis positive (p = 0.0380*), and cancer positive (p = 0.0288*) groups when compared with the control negative group. CONCLUSION We suggest that decreased expression of the miRNA-125a-5p associated with the presence of the H. pylori is an important mechanism in gastric diseases and could be a possible marker for early diagnosis of gastric cancer.