Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2001. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 15, 2001; 7(2): 266-269
Published online Apr 15, 2001. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v7.i2.266
Mycoplasma infections and different human carcinomas
Su Huang, Ji-You Li, Jan Wu, Lin Meng, Cheng-Chao Shou
Su Huang, Ji-You Li, Jan Wu, Lin Meng, Cheng-Chao Shou, Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Peking University School of Oncology, Beijing 100034, China
Su Huang, received B.A from Jiangxi Medical College of China in 1994. Now she is a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D degree at the Peking University School of Oncology.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by National 863 Project (102-10-01-08), National Natural Science Foundation of China (39570405), Natural Science Foundation of Beijing (7941001) and State Key Basic Research Program (G1998051203).
Correspondence to: Dr. Cheng-Chao Shou, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Beijing Institute for Cancer Research and Peking University School of Oncology. No.1 Da Hong Luo Chang Street, Western District, Beijing 100034, China. 6201@us.sina.com
Telephone: +86-10-66160960 Fax: +86-10-66175832
Received: October 10, 2000
Revised: October 15, 2000
Accepted: October 18, 2000
Published online: April 15, 2001
Abstract

AIM: To explore relationships between human carcinomas and mycoplasma infection.

METHODS: Monoclonal antibody PD4, which specifically recognizes a distinct protein from mycoplasma hyorhinis, was used to detect mycoplasma infection in different paraffin embedded carcinoma tissues with immunohistochemistry. PCR was applied to amplify the mycoplasma DNA from the positive samples for confirming immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS: Fifty of 90 cases (56%) of gastric carcinoma were positive for mycoplasma hyorhinis. In other gastric diseases, the mycoplasma infection ratio was 28% (18/49) in chronic superficial gastritis, 30% (14/46) in gastric ulcer and 37% (18/49) in intestinal metaplasia. The difference is significant with gastric cancer (χ2 = 12.06, P < 0.05). In colon carcinoma, the mycoplasma infection ratio was 55.1% (32/58),but it was 20.9% (10/ 49) in adenomarous polyp (χ2 = 13.46, P < 0.005). Gastric and colon cancers with high differentiation had a higher mycoplasma infection ratio than those with low differentiation (P < 0.05). Mycoplasma infection in esophageal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and glioma was 50.9% (27/53), 52.6% (31/ 59), 39.7% (25/63)and 41% (38/91), respectively. The mycoplasma DNA was successfully amplified with the DNA extracted from the cancer tissues that were positive for mycoplasma infection (detected with antibody PD4).

CONCLUSION: There was high correlation between mycoplasma infection and different cancers, which suggests the possibility of an association between the two. The mechanism involved in oncogenesis by mycoplasma remains unknown.

Keywords: Gastrointestinal neoplasms/ microbiology; mycoplasma infections; antibodies, monoclonal; immunohistochemistry