Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with early gastric cancer by the endoscopic phenol red test.
BACKGROUND
An endoscopic procedure that uses a pH indicator called phenol red to assess Helicobacter pylori infected gastric mucosa has recently been developed. This test makes it possible to take biopsy specimens from H pylori infected areas.


OBJECTIVE
This test was applied to patients with early gastric cancers to clarify the role of H pylori in gastric carcinogenesis.


METHODS
Sixty five patients with early gastric cancer (50 with differentiated adenocarcinoma and 15 with undifferentiated adenocarcinoma).


METHODS
Patients with early gastric cancer underwent the endoscopic phenol red test before their operation. In this test, areas infected with H pylori can be observed as "coloured" areas where phenol red was turned from yellow to red.


RESULTS
H pylori infection was significantly (p < 0.001) more frequent in patients with differentiated adenocarcinomas than in those with undifferentiated adenocarcinomas. Differentiated adenocarcinomas were usually located in areas of mucosa infected with H pylori, but undifferentiated adenocarcinomas were frequently located in non-infected areas.


CONCLUSIONS
H pylori may be a strong risk factor for differentiated early gastric cancer.
Iseki
K
K
Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka Medical Centre for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Japan.
Tatsuta
M
M
Iishi
H
H
Baba
M
M
Ishiguro
S
S
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001706:Biopsy; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005743:Gastrectomy; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005773:Gastroscopy; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology; D008679:Metaplasia; D010637:Phenolsulfonphthalein; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D010637:Phenolsulfonphthalein