LCN2 and gastric cancer: LCN2 (lipocalin 2) is a secreted glycoprotein involved in innate immune response, and its role in GC is controversial; in adults it is overexpressed in gastritis mucosa infected with H. pylori, but not in mucosa with intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia or GC (Alpízar-Alpízar et al., 2009).