GSTP1 and GSTO1 Variant Alleles Affect Susceptibility to Helicobacter pylori Infection and Severity of Helicobacter pylori-Associated Clinical Manifestations

Considering the mutual relationship between redox disbalance and inflammation in <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> (HP) infection, we aimed to evaluate whether the polymorphisms in antioxidant glutathione transferases genes (<i>GSTP1</i> rs1695, <i>GSTP1</i>rs1138272, <i>GSTO1</i> rs4925 and <i>GSTO2</i> rs156697) modify susceptibility to HP infection, as well as the severity of HP-associated gastric manifestation development. Therefore, GST gene polymorphisms were determined via the appropriate PCR in 101 HP-positive and 107 HP-negative patients. Our results show that carriers of the <i>GSTP1*G/G</i> variant genotype (rs1695) or at least one <i>GSTP1*T</i> variant allele (rs1138272) were more prone to the development of HP-positive gastritis compared with reference allele carriers (OR = 3.21, 95%CI = 1.15-8.91, <i>p</i> = 0.025 and OR = 2.31, 95%CI = 1.14-4.89, <i>p</i> = 0.021, respectively), which was confirmed by haplotype analysis. HP-positive carriers of the <i>GSTO1</i>*A variant allele showed increased risk of developing gastric atrophy and precancerous gastric lesions compared with the reference one (OR = 2.49, 95%CI:1.04-5.96, <i>p</i> = 0.04 and OR = 2.98, 95%CI = 1.21-7.34, <i>p</i> = 0.018, respectively). HP-positive carriers of the <i>GSTO2</i>*G variant allele were less prone to developing moderate/severe inflammatory infiltration (OR = 0.35, 95%CI = 1.04-5.96, <i>p</i> = 0.04), whereas the <i>GSTP1</i>*T variant allele was significantly associated with active inflammation (OR = 4.09, 95%CI = 1.04-5.96, <i>p</i> = 0.042). In conclusion, antioxidant GST genetic propensity seems to have an important impact on both acute and chronic forms of HP infection.