Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 infection and gastric cancer development in Japan.
BACKGROUND
The rate of human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) positivity among residents of Kamigoto, Japan, is extremely high (15%). Although the rate of Helicobacter pylori positivity in Kamigoto is almost the same as that in other areas of Japan, the incidence of gastric cancer in Kamigoto is lower. This study examined whether HTLV-1 infection affects H. pylori infection and the development of gastric cancer.


METHODS
The study involved 5686 patients >40 years of age who provided serum specimens for HTLV-1 antibody testing during 1989-1992. A total of 1812 patients underwent gastric endoscopy during the follow-up period. Of these, 497 were HTLV-1 seropositive. Data for these patients were compared with those for 497 HTLV-1-seronegative control patients matched for age, sex, and follow-up duration. We followed these groups until 2003 and determined the cumulative incidence rate of gastric cancer.


RESULTS
The rate of H. pylori positivity was 61.7% in the HTLV-1-positive group and 71.6% in the HTLV-1-negative group (P = .07). Fourteen HTLV-1-positive patients (2.8%) had gastric cancer, compared with 35 patients (7.0%) in the HTLV-1-negative group (odds ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.70; P = .0028).


CONCLUSIONS
HTLV-1 infection likely reduces the risk of H. pylori infection and proliferation and, thereby, the risk of gastric cancer.
Department of Internal Medicine, Kamigoto Hospital, Japan. hiyo-mana@gol.com
Satohiro
S
Matsumoto
Kazumi
K
Yamasaki
Kenichiro
K
Tsuji
Satoshi
S
Shirahama
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*
D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies