HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN GASTRIC-CARCINOMA

Purpose: This study was undertaken to compare the pathoclinical findin gs in gastric adenocarcinoma with serum IgG antibody to Helicobacter p ylori. Materials and methods: We examined 185 patients with histologic ally established gastric cancer. The presence of immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibody in the high molecular cell-associated antigen of H. pylori wa s determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pepsinogens I and I I were measured by radioimmunoassay. The distribution of H. pylori on the gastric mucosa was assessed by the Campylobacter-like organism tes t and phenol red dye spraying. Results: H. pylori Ige antibody was det ected in 93.1% of patients with gastric cancer (mean age 61.7 years), 94.3% of patients with early gastric cancer and 91.2% with advanced ga stric cancer. No statistical difference in serology was observed betwe en type of gastric cancer, depth of cancer invasion, tumor size or his tology. Only in patients with diffuse-type cancer of the cardia was th ere a lower percentage of positive results (80.0%). The ratio of pepsi nogen I to pepsinogen II was higher in the patients who exhibited no H . pylori antibodies. Conclusions: H. pylori antibodies were common in patients with gastric cancer, and were not correlated with histologica l type nor stage of cancer. In the Niigata district, a higher percenta ge of patients with gastric carcinoma displayed H. pylori antibodies c ompared with other districts in Japan.