# Gastric Carcinogenesis and Potential Role of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) Receptor: An Observational Histopathological Study

## TL;DR

This study explores the role of TRPV1 receptor in gastric cancer development and finds it is elevated in precancerous conditions but absent in cancer itself.

## Contribution

The study identifies TRPV1 as a potential biomarker for gastric cancer precursors and suggests its role in early carcinogenesis.

## Key findings

- TRPV1 expression is significantly higher in H. pylori-associated gastritis compared to controls.
- TRPV1 expression increases further in the presence of gastric intestinal metaplasia.
- TRPV1 expression is completely lost in gastric cancer cases.

## Abstract

The potential role of the transient receptor potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) non-selective cation channel in gastric carcinogenesis remains unclear. The main objective of this study was to evaluate TRPV1 expression in gastric cancer (GC) and precursor lesions compared with controls. Patient inclusion was based on a retrospective review of pathology records. Patients were subdivided into five groups: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-associated gastritis with gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) (n = 12), chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) with GIM (n = 13), H. pylori-associated gastritis without GIM (n = 19), GC (n = 6) and controls (n = 5). TRPV1 expression was determined with immunohistochemistry and was significantly higher in patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis compared with controls (p = 0.002). TRPV1 expression was even higher in the presence of GIM compared with patients without GIM and controls (p < 0.001). There was a complete loss of TRPV1 expression in patients with GC. TRPV1 expression seems to contribute to gastric-mucosal inflammation and precursors of GC, which significantly increases in cancer precursor lesions but is completely lost in GC. These findings suggest TRPV1 expression to be a potential marker for precancerous conditions and a target for individualized treatment. Longitudinal studies are necessary to further address the role of TRPV1 in gastric carcinogenesis.