GASTRIC-CANCER, GASTRITIS AND PLASMA VITAMIN-C - RESULTS FROM AN INTERNATIONAL CORRELATION AND CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Low intake of foods rich in vitamin C is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer, and geographic variation in average vitamin C intake, therefore, could explain some of the wide international variat ion in gastric cancer rates. This multicentre study investigated the r elationships between plasma levels of vitamin C, as an indicator of vi tamin C intake, and gastric cancer rates, markers of gastritis and oth er socio-demographic variables. Fasting plasma samples from about 1,40 0 individuals from 9 centres in 7 countries world-wide were assayed fo r total vitamin C using a fluorometric assay. There was no association between average plasma vitamin C levels and either gastric cancer mor tality or incidence rates in the populations studied. Therefore, varia tion in fasting plasma vitamin C levels, as an indicator of consumptio n of vitamin C, does not appear to explain any of the wide geographic variation in gastric cancer rates. Furthermore, there was no associati on between plasma vitamin C levels and Helicobacter pylori infection, low serum levels of pepsinogen A (as a marker of severe chronic atroph ic gastritis) or the presence of DNA adducts in blood leukocyte DNA. M ultivariate models showed that fasting plasma vitamin C levels were as sociated positively with female sex, higher levels of education, never having smoked and increasing height and negatively with number of cig arettes smoked per day and increasing weight. This suggests not only t hat gender and tobacco smoking, in particular, are important predictor s of plasma vitamin C levels but also that their effects are consisten t throughout the developed world. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.