title: Correlation of cag-A serological status with histological parameters of chronic gastritis among dyspeptic patients in south western Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to determine the sero-prevalence of Cag-A strains of Helicobacter pylori in both dyspeptic and non-dyspeptic individuals and also correlate the serological status of Gag-A strain of H. pylori with the various graded histological variables of chronic gastritis in the dyspeptic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using helicobacter p120 Cag-A enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, Cag-A serology test was carried out on 65 dyspeptic patients and 65 age and sex matched non-dyspeptic controls. The gastric biopsies of the patients were also histologically examined to ascertain the presence, nature and degree of the following histological variables of gastritis: colonisation by H. pylori; inflammation, intestinal metaplasia and mucosal atrophy. The CagA serological status was then correlated with the graded variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A prevalence of 46.2% and 58.8% seropositivity for Cag-A strain of H. pylori was found among dyspeptic patients and control individuals respectively. Cag-A seropositive patients accounted for nine(81.8%) of the 11 cases with moderate to severe activity and 75% of both cases with mucosal atrophy and cases with intestinal metaplasia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infection with Cag-A positive Helicobacter pylori was equally prevalent among both dyspeptic patients and control subjects studied. CagA seropositivity, however, appeared to be associated with higher inflammatory activity in the mucosa of patients with chronic gastritis and may be associated with intestinal metaplasia and mucosal atrophy in H. pylori-induced chronic gastritis.
authors: Department of Pathology, Gastroenterology unit, College of Medicine, University of lbadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. oluwasol@yahoo.com
authors: A O
authors: AO
authors: Oluwasola
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Otegbayo
authors: S O
authors: SO
authors: Ola
authors: H O
authors: HO
authors: Ebili
authors: A O
authors: AO
authors: Afolabi
authors: G N
authors: GN
authors: Odaibo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000150:complications; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori