title: Assessment of atrophic gastritis using the OLGA system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An international group of gastroenterologists and pathologists (Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment (OLGA)) proposed the staging system of atrophy. The aim of this study was to assess the severity of atrophic gastritis using the OLGA system.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects comprised 163 H. pylori-positive patients: 18 with early gastric cancers of the intestinal type (GC), 55 with atrophic gastritis (AG), 49 with gastric ulcers or scars (GU), and 41 with duodenal ulcers or scars (DU). Biopsies were taken from the lesser and greater curvatures of the antrum and middle body. The OLGA gastritis stage (0-IV) (the severity and topography of atrophy) was obtained by combining antral with body atrophy scores. The gastritis grade (the severity and topography of inflammation) was obtained by combining antral and body inflammation scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most (84%) of patients with GC showed stage III or IV. Gastritis stages were significantly higher in patients with GC than in those with AG, GU, and DU. Gastritis stage became higher with age. Gastritis grades were slightly higher in patients with AG than in others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that higher stages are found in patients with GC using the OLGA staging system and that the high risk of GC can be recognized. It is simple to use and useful for the assessment of the severity of atrophic gastritis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan. kiichi@jichi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Osawa
authors.forename: Mitsuyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshizawa
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Tomosuke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirasawa
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kihira
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged