Differences in clinicopathological findings, cell kinetics and p53 expression between early gastric cancers with and without Helicobacter pylori infection.
OBJECTIVE
Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection has been suggested to be a risk factor for gastric carcinogenesis. The aims of this study were to clarify differences in clinicopathological features, tumor cell kinetics and p53 expression between early gastric cancers developing within and at a distance from Hp actively infected mucosa and those away from the infected area.


METHODS
A total of 91 consecutive patients who were diagnosed as having early gastric carcinoma were enrolled in this study. Phenol red solution and urea were sprayed over the surgically resected stomachs (the PR test). Tumors included in and away from positive (red color) areas on PR testing were considered as infected and non-infected cases, respectively, and compared for Ki67 (proliferative activity), ssDNA (apoptotic activity) and p53 immunoreactivity.


RESULTS
The average age of the infected cases (n=46) was 9 years younger than that for their non-infected counterparts (n=45; P<0.0001). Depressed macroscopic and diffuse histologic types were more prevalent in the infected cases (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively). In neither intestinal nor diffuse histologic types were any significant differences in Ki67, ssDNA or p53 immunoreactivity apparent between the infected and non-infected cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Cases of early gastric cancer developing within and at a distance from Hp infected mucosa are clinicopathologically different although the presence of bacteria in the surrounding mucosa does not appear to affect tumor cell kinetics or p53 expression.
Mitsuhashi
Jun
J
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kitasato University East Hospital, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. jmihashi@kitasato-u.ac.jp
Mitomi
Hiroyuki
H
Tanabe
Satoshi
S
Koizumi
Wasaburo
W
Kikuchi
Shiro
S
Ojima
Tatsuya
T
Okayasu
Isao
I
Saigenji
Katsunori
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53