en Medical Biotechnology Medical Biotechnology مقاله کامل Full Length/Original Article <strong>Background:</strong> Variations in mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) of peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs), as a potential biomarker for gastric cancer (GC) screening has currently been subject to controversy. Herein, we have assessed its efficiency in GC screening, in parallel and in combination with serum pepsinogen (sPG) I/II ratio, as an established indicator of gastric atrophy. <strong>Methods:</strong> The study population included GC (n = 53) and non-GC (n = 207) dyspeptic patients. The non-GC group was histologically categorized into CG (n = 104) and NM (n = 103) subgroups. The MtDNA-CN of PBLs was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. The sPG I and II levels and anti-<em>H. pylori </em>serum IgG were measured by ELISA. <strong>Results:</strong> The mtDNA-CN was found significantly higher in GC vs<em>.</em> non-GC (OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 1.4, 6.4) subjects. Conversely, GC patients had significantly lower sPG I/II ratio than the non-GC (OR = 3.2; CI = 1.4, 7.2) subjects. The combination of these two biomarkers yielded a dramatic amplification of the odds of GC risk in double-positive (high mtDNA-CN-low sPGI/II) subjects, in reference to double-negatives (low mtDNA-CN-high sPGI/II), when assessed against non-GC (OR = 27.1; CI = 5.0, 147.3), CG (OR = 13.1; CI = 2.4, 72.6), or NM (OR = 49.5; CI = 7.9, 311.6) groups. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The combination of these two biomarkers, namely mtDNA-CN in PBLs and serum PG I/II ratio, drastically enhanced the efficiency of GC risk assessment, which calls for further validations. Biomarkers, DNA copy number variation, Mitochondrial DNA, Stomach neoplasmsr 323 333 http://ibj.pasteur.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-670-8&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mehdi Alikhani alikhanim81@gmail.com 0000-0002-8808-9577 No HPGC Research Group, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Samaneh Saberi sam.sk81@gmail.com 0000-0002-5246-9092 No HPGC Research Group, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Maryam Esmaily m_esmaily2007@yahoo.com 0000-0003-2985-8994 No HPGC Research Group, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Valérie Michel vmichel@pasteur.fr 0000-0003-0681-5588 No Institut Pasteur, Unit of Helicobacter Pathogenesis, CNRS UMR2001, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France Mohammad Tashakoripour tashakori57@gmail.com 0000-0000-2558-1877 No Gastroenterology Department, Amiralam Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Afshin Abdirad 0000-0000-0000-0000 No Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Arezoo Aghakhani 0000-0001-6674-9282 No Clinical Research Dept., Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Sana Eybpoosh sana.eybpoosh@gmail.com 0000-0002-2304-8352 No Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Massoud Vosough masvos@yahoo.com 0000-0002-5396-4714 No Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Ali Mohagheghi mamohagheghi@yahoo.com 0000-0003-4153-0991 No Cancer Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mahmoud Eshagh Hosseini Mmeh5083@yahoo.com 0000-0000-0000-0000 No Gastroenterology Department, Amiralam Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Eliette Touati eliette.touati@pasteur.fr 0000-0002-3450-1773 No Institut Pasteur, Unit of Helicobacter Pathogenesis, CNRS UMR2001, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France Marjan Mohammadi marjan.mohammadi2010@gmail.com 0000-0003-4970-3455 Yes HPGC Research Group, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran