HELICOBACTER-PYLORI AND INCREASED EPITHELIAL-CELL PROLIFERATION - A RISK FACTOR FOR CANCER

Objective: Epidemiological studies have identified a link between Heli cobacter pylori and gastric carcinoma. Epithelial cell proliferation i s an indicator of risk of adenocarcinoma. We aimed to assess the effec t of H. pylori on gastric epithelial cell proliferation. Subjects: A t otal of 124 patients were recruited and assigned to three study groups . Group 1 (control group) comprised 28 H. pylori-negative patients wit h normal gastric mucosa; group 2 comprised 28 H. pylori-negative patie nts with type C (chemically induced) gastritis and group 3 comprised 6 8 H. pylori-positive patients with type B (bacteria induced) gastritis . Four antral mucosal biopsy specimens were taken for cell proliferati on analysis using the in vitro bromodeoxyuridine immunohistochemical t echnique. Ten entire gastric pits of more than 100 cells were counted per patient and the labelling index percentage (LI%) was calculated (t he total number of proliferating cells expressed as a percentage of th e total number of cells per pit). Results: Patients with H. pylori-pos itive gastritis had a significantly higher LI% (4.5+/-0.2%; P<0.05) th an patients with H. pylori-negative gastritis (3.3+/-0.2%) or controls (2.9+/-0.1%). This increased cell proliferation was not associated wi th the severity of inflammation or the presence or absence of an ulcer on gastroscopy. Conclusion: Increased cell proliferation was associat ed with H. pylori infection, which may indicate that H. pylori is a ri sk factor in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer.