Seropositivity against Helicobacter pylori CagA in Turkish gastric cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
Increased prevalence of CagA in gastric cancer has been reported; yet, other reports suggest that the cagA gene is not associated with gastric cancer.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the frequency of CagA seropositivity in Turkish patients with gastric cancer.


METHODS
Thirty-two patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and 46 patients with nonulcer dyspepsia were examined for Helicobacter pylori status and for antibodies against CagA.


RESULTS
H. pylori was positive in 56.3% of patients and in 71.7% of controls. CagA was positive in all patients in the study group, regardless of H. pylori positivity, and in 56.5% of the control group. CagA positivity in H. pylori -positive patients was significantly more frequent in patients with gastric cancer than in those with nonulcer dyspepsia ( p < 0.001). As for H. pylori -negative patients in both groups, CagA positivity was also more frequent in gastric cancer patients ( p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Testing for H. pylori antibodies without testing for antibodies against CagA will miss patients with either recent or previous infection, which may be a cause of missing the relationship between H. pylori and gastric cancer. The authors think that testing for CagA in patients with dyspepsia can reveal which patients should be followed up for the risk of developing gastric cancer.
Gürbüz
A K
AK
Department of Gastroenterology, Gülhane Military Medical Academy Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Ozel
A M
AM
Yazgan
Y
Y
Günay
A
A
Ozdemir
S
S
Demirtürk
L
L
Emekdaş
G
G
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000382:microbiology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori