Close correlation of intestinal metaplasia and corpus gastritis in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori.
BACKGROUND
The role of intestinal metaplasia as a precancerous condition for Helicobacter pylori associated gastric carcinoma has been the subject of numerous investigations. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether other diffuse gastritis markers such as H. pylori gastritis in the corpus correlate with the presence of intestinal metaplasia and gastric carcinoma.


METHODS
The histological records of 2,000 patients with H. pylori gastritis were retrospectively investigated for grade/activity of gastritis, and presence of intestinal metaplasia.


RESULTS
There was a strong correlation between the degree and activity of H. pylori gastritis in the corpus and the presence of intestinal metaplasia in antrum or corpus (all P < 0.001). Intestinal metaplasia and pronounced corpus gastritis were found predominately in H. pylori infected persons with gastric cancer or benign gastric ulcers.


CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of its close correlation with intestinal metaplasia, pronounced corpus gastritis may be considered as a marker of gastric cancer. In comparison with intestinal metaplasia, this marker of gastric cancer risk has the advantage of being associated with less interobserver variation, and - due to its diffuse presentation - a lower risk of sampling bias.
Meining
A
A
Medizinische Klinik - Innenstadt, University of Munich, Germany.
Stolte
M
M
D001706:Biopsy; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000473:pathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008679:Metaplasia; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000473:pathology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology