[The value of magnifying endoscopy combined with human telomerase reverse transcriptase in diagnosing precancerous gastric lesions].

Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of magnifying endoscopy and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) in identifying precancerous lesions of gastric mucosa.

Methods: 154 patients with upper digestive symptoms were included in the study. They were examined by the same senior doctor using magnifying endoscopy, and real-time diagnosis was made during the examination. Forceps biopsies were taken for pathological examination and were examined the expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA (hTERT mRNA) by real-time quantitative PCR. The morphology of gastric pits under magnifying endoscopy was classified as follows: type A: round spot pits, type B: linear, type C: sparsely and thickly linear, typed D: patchy, and type E: villous.

Results: The divergence of intestinal metaplasia had significant differences implications among the gastric pit patterns from B to E under magnifying endoscopy (chi(2) = 17.58, P < 0.05). The more sever the intestinal metaplasia, the higher the pattern scale of the gastric pit (Pearson = 0.531, P < 0.05). The degree of dysplasia had a parallel relationship with the gastric pit patterns changed from C to E (chi(2) = 10.256, P < 0.05, Pearson = 0.549, P < 0.05). The expressions of hTERT mRNA of mucosa had significant differences among the gastric pit patterns B, C, D and E (F = 3.274, P < 0.05); If the expression of hTERT mRNA were taken as diagnostic criteria of gastric cancer, 65% of pit type E would be considered as gastric cancer which were otherwise negative by pathology.

Conclusions: The micro-structural changes of gastric mucosa under magnifying endoscopy can reflect the severity of gastric disease, hTERT is a very important marker for diagnosis of gastric carcinoma. It is useful to predict the malignant change of gastric precancerous lesions in patients by following up high expression of hTERT mRNA combined with pit type E diagnosed by magnifying endoscopy.