INCREASED PREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION AMONG PATIENTS AFFECTED WITH INTESTINAL-TYPE GASTRIC-CANCER AT NONCARDIAC LOCATIONS

Previous data on the association of Helicobacter pylori infection with gastric cancer by demographic or histological features are inconsiste nt due to a univariate analysis of limited case numbers. The aim of th e present study was to determine such an association by the use of a l arge series of patients and multiple variables analysis. The serum IgG antibodies against H. pylori were measured in 397 patients with histo logically verified gastric cancer. A multiple logistic regression anal ysis was used to define the association between seropositivity and dem ographic or tumour characteristics of gastric cancer. The overall sero positivity of H. pylori was 63%. In univariate analysis, the prevalenc e was significantly lower among patients with cardia (50%) or diffuse- type (56.6%) cancers than those with non-cardia (64.8%) or intestinal- type (70.3%) cancer (P< 0.05 and P< 0.01, respectively). There was no statistical difference between H. pylori infection rate and gender, ag e or tumour stage. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed tumo ur location and histology remained significant factors associated with seropositivity of H. pylori with an odds ratio of approximately 2.0. Analysis of combined histology and location revealed that patients wit h intestinal-type cancer at non-cardia locations had the highest odds ratio of 3.93 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.55-10.0) compared with the lowest odds ratio of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.30-1.62) in diffuse cardia ca ncer (P< 0.005). Our data indicate H. pylori infection in gastric canc er Is independently affected by the histological subtype and by tumour location.