Blog summary of a research paper recently published by Oncotarget, entitled, "Influence of high altitude on the expression of HIF-1 and on the prognosis of Ecuadorian patients with gastric adenocarcinoma."
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Altitude is considered any elevation above sea level. Higher altitude environments are known to influence various physiological processes in the human body, including those related to hypoxia-inducing factors (HIF), vitamin D, ultraviolet radiation, oxygen toxicity, and changes in pH. Researchers have suggested that altitude may even affect the development and progression of some diseases, including stomach/gastric cancer.
“Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of death in the world and is estimated to cause almost 15 million deaths by 2035 [2].”
Gastric Cancer & Altitude
The primary subtype of gastric cancer is gastric adenocarcinoma (GA). GA develops in the mucus-secreting cells that line the stomach (gastric epithelium). Higher incidence rates of GA have been found among populations living at high altitudes. High altitudes are notorious for low air pressure and decreased oxygen saturation levels. Decreases in oxygen (hypoxia) can activate the transcriptional regulator hypoxia-inducing factor-1 (HIF-1). HIF-1 is known to be upregulated in a variety of human cancers, including GA. The role of HIF-1 in GA pathogenesis and prognosis has not yet been fully understood.
“Gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) has a high incidence in Ecuador, in men it ranks third and in women it ranks fifth.”
There is a higher incidence of GA among people living in Ecuador. This is a country that straddles the equator yet, the altitude in Ecuador varies significantly across the country. For example, the altitude is 2,850 meters in the capital city of Quito (the second-highest capital city in the world). In Guayaquil (a coastal city in Ecuador) the altitude is only nine meters. These facts make Ecuador an optimal location for studying the effects of altitude on gastric adenocarcinoma.
“Ecuador has a varied altitude diversity and there is a differential incidence of cancer between populations living in the Andean or mountainous region when compared to coastal populations or living at low altitude.”
Full blog - https://www.oncotarget.org/2022/09/27/how-high-altitudes-influence-hif-1-gastric-cancer-patient-survival/
DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28275
Correspondence to - José Sebastiao dos Santos - lab.biomol.cirugia@fmrp.usp.br
Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28275
Keywords - cancer, gastric adenocarcinoma, hypoxia-induced factor, HER2, survival rate, tumor markers
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