Serum TNF-α and IL-8 as predictors of gastric mucosal cancerization in Helicobacter pylori-positive gastritis
Abstract
Background
Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is a well-established risk factor for gastric carcinogenesis, primarily through the induction and maintenance of chronic gastric mucosal inflammation. In this study, we aimed to explore the correlations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels with the risk of gastric mucosal cancerization in patients with HP-positive gastritis.
Methods
Subjects (200 in total) in this retrospective study were enrolled from patients with HP-positive gastritis treated from January 2022 to December 2024. A non-cancer group (n=80, patients with chronic superficial gastritis and atrophic gastritis) and a cancer group (n=120, patients with gastric cancer) were set based on the condition of mucosal lesions. Measurement of serum TNF-α and IL-8 levels was completed through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The 14C-urea breath test was conducted to determine the status of HP infection. Multivariate regression analysis was employed to identify the influencing factors of gastric mucosal cancerization risk. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was also conducted.
Results
The serum TNF-α and IL-8 levels were significantly higher in the cancer group than in the non-cancer group (p<0.05). Both TNF-α and IL-8 levels displayed significantly positive correlations with the risk of gastric mucosal cancerization (r=0.785, r=0.812, p<0.05). Elevated TNF-α and IL-8 levels, high severity of HP infection and presence of virulence factor cytotoxin-associated gene A were independent risk factors for gastric mucosal cancerization (p<0.05). The areas under the ROC curves of serum TNF-α and IL-8 levels were 0.798 and 0.698, respectively (p<0.01).
Conclusions
This study reveals a close positive correlation between serum TNF-α and IL-8 levels and the risk of gastric mucosal cancerization in patients with HP-positive gastritis.
© 2026 Zhuoyu Peng, Xuelian Yang, Min Li, Di Wan, Juju Liu, published by Romanian Association of Laboratory Medicine
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.