title: No higher risk for colorectal cancer in atrophic gastritis-related hypergastrinemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atrophic gastritis of the corporal mucosa is a frequent cause of hypergastrinemia. Hypergastrinemia is implicated in colorectal cancer development.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether hypergastrinemic atrophic gastritis is associated with a higher risk of neoplastic colorectal lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 441 hypergastrinemic atrophic gastritis patients, 160 who were aged >40 and underwent colonoscopy for anaemia, diarrhoea or colorectal cancer-screening were retrospectively selected. Each patient was age- and gender-matched with a normogastrinemic control with healthy stomach. Controls had colonoscopy, gastroscopy with biopsies and gastrin assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  160 hypergastrinemic atrophic gastritis patients and 160 controls were included. 28 atrophic gastritis patients and 36 controls had neoplastic colorectal lesions (p=0.33). Patients and controls did not differ for frequency of colorectal adenomas (10.6% vs. 13.1%, p=0.60) or cancer (6.9% vs. 9.4%, p=0.54). Hypergastrinemic atrophic gastritis was not associated with a higher probability of developing colorectal cancer (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.34-3.16). Age >50 years (OR 3.86) but not hypergastrinemia (OR 0.61) was associated with colorectal cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypergastrinemic atrophic gastritis is not associated with higher risk for colorectal cancer. Atrophic gastritis-related hypergastrinemia is not associated with an increased risk of neoplastic colorectal lesions. Closer surveillance of colonic neoplasia in atrophic gastritis patients seems not appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive and Liver Disease, University Sapienza, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lahner
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sbrozzi-Vanni
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vannella
authors.forename: Vito Domenico
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Corleto
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Giulio
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delle Fave
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Annibale
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000236:Adenoma / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood*; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D005755:Gastrins