Helicobacter pylori and gastric carcinoma.
A retrospective study was performed on gastric carcinomas to establish the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric epithelium adjacent to the tumour. A total of 105 carcinomas were studied. The overall prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection was 59%. The prevalence in different age cohorts from patients with gastric carcinoma was compared with that in patients suffering from non-ulcer dyspepsia and, based on serological testing, with that in healthy blood donors. The presence of Helicobacter pylori in cancer patients aged 41-50 and 51-60 was significantly higher than in blood donors. No difference was seen in comparison with non-ulcer dyspepsia patients. The presence of Helicobacter pylori showed an inverse correlation with the extent of intestinal metaplasia. The intestinal type of carcinoma was associated with a higher bacterial load than the diffuse type. These data suggest that the presence of Helicobacter pylori in gastric mucosa could play a role in the pathogenesis of gastric carcinoma, especially in the young age group.
Loffeld
R J
RJ
Department of Internal Medicine University Hospital Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Willems
I
I
Flendrig
J A
JA
Arends
J W
JW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology