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Updated: May 17, 2026

Gastric Mucosa Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis for Detecting Helicobacter pylori and Antibiotic Resistance
Published on: March 7, 2025
Helicobacter pylori eradication increases telomere length in gastric mucosa
Rahmi Aslan1, Ahmet Bektas, Abdulkerim Bedir
1Department of Gastroenterology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Medicine, Samsum, Turkey. rahmiaslan@yahoo.com
Background/Aims:
Our purpose in this study was to analyze telomere length and telomerase activity before and after eradication treatment in gastric mucosa in patients positive for H. pylori.
Methodology:
There were two groups: a control group (n=17) and a study group (n=21). For H. pylori eradication, the patients were administrated proton pump inhibitor (PPI) + clarithromycin + amoxicillin or PPI + metronidazole + tetracycline + bismuth for 14 days. Telomere length was analyzed with RT-PCR and telomerase activity with PCR-ELISA on biopsy specimens from the antrum. The result p<0.05 was considered significant.
Results:
Prior to eradication, there was no significant difference between telomere lengths of the patient and control groups (2481.2±1823 and 2958.9±1345.7 bp, p=0.11, respectively). The telomere length of the study group became longer after eradication (before 2481.2±1823bp, after 3766.3±1608.8bp, p=0.01). Telomerase activity was not detected in either the patient or the control group.
Conclusions:
An increase in telomere length was observed with H. pylori eradication. This finding may indicate the importance of H. pylori eradication to avoid the development of gastric cancer.
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Telomeres and Telomerase
