Russian researchers first identified polymorphic variants in the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-9) gene associated with the development of duodenal ulcers in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection. In addition, they identified specific genetic markers associated with an increased risk of development of this disease in the central Russian population.
Infection caused by H. pylori has a particularly strong effect on the development of duodenal peptic ulcers. The infection causes an increase in gastric acid and disruption of the mucus barrier in the intestinal wall, and the persistent inflammation of the damaged areas of the mucosa in an acidic environment leads to ulcer formation.
Medical practice shows that in some patients this process progresses rapidly and has a deep impact on the intestine, while in other patients the disease does not develop even under extremely unfavorable conditions. Belgorod State University and King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia have succeeded in proving that genetic factors play a decisive role in the development of the disease.
According to the researchers, the data they obtained can now be used in practical teaching of gastroenterology, medical genetics and gastroenterology. The scientific facts identified in this study greatly expand the understanding of the role of the matrix metalloproteinase gene in the formation of duodenal ulcers.
