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World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2013; 19(45): 8192-8202
Published online Dec 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i45.8192
Helicobacter pylori and interleukin-8 in gastric cancer
Ko Eun Lee, Pham Ngoc Khoi, Yong Xia, Jung Sun Park, Young Eun Joo, Kyung Keun Kim, Seok Yong Choi, Young Do Jung
Ko Eun Lee, Pham Ngoc Khoi, Yong Xia, Jung Sun Park, Young Eun Joo, Kyung Keun Kim, Seok Yong Choi, Young Do Jung, Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-190, South Korea
Author contributions: Khoi PN, Xia Y, Park JS, Joo YE, Kim KK and Jung YD designed the review paper; Lee KE, Choi SY and Jung YD wrote the paper.
Supported by A research grant, No. 0720570, from the National Cancer Center, by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant, Basic Research Program, No. 2010-0009910; MRC for Gene Regulation, No. 2011-0030132 funded by the Korea government (MSIP)
Correspondence to: Young Do Jung, MD, PhD, Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-190, South Korea. ydjung@chonnam.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-62-2204105 Fax: +82-62-2238321
Received: September 13, 2013
Revised: October 17, 2013
Accepted: November 3, 2013
Published online: December 7, 2013
Processing time: 95 Days and 18.2 Hours
Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a major etiological factor in the development of gastric cancer. Large-scale epidemiological studies have confirmed the strong association between H. pylori infection and both cancer development and progression. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is overexpressed in gastric mucosa exposed to H. pylori. The expression of IL-8 directly correlates with a poor prognosis in gastric cancer. IL-8 is multifunctional. In addition to its potent chemotactic activity, it can induce proliferation and migration of cancer cells. In this review, we focus on recent insights into the mechanisms of IL-8 signaling associated with gastric cancer. The relationship between IL-8 and H. pylori is discussed. We also summarize the current therapeutics against IL-8 in gastric cancer.

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; Interleukin-8; Signals; Gastric cancer; Therapeutics

Core tip: There is a close association between gastric cancer and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. H. pylori upregulates interleukin-8 (IL-8) gene expression in gastric epithelial cells and the levels of IL-8 may be indicative of poor prognosis. We propose that IL-8 overexpression induced by H. pylori plays a major role in gastric cancer development and progression, and that targeting IL-8 may be a promising strategy for gastric cancer treatment.