Presence of the Helicobacter pylori in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Samples

Background: The main causes of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in developing countries differ from developed countries. In developing countries, approximately onefourth of cancer cases are caused by infectious agents. In terms of infectious etiology of esophageal cancer, Helicobacter pylori has been among the most widely investigated, but its role in etiology of ESCC remains unclear. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the presence of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of ESCC. Materials and Methods: In total, 277 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded esophageal samples (177 with ESCC, and 107 without esophageal malignancy) were examined for H. pylori infection. After removing of paraffin from tissue samples, DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to investigate the presence of H. pylori. Results: H. pylori was not detected in any of the cancerous and non-cancerous esophageal sample. Conclusion: In the present study, there was no association between H. pylori and ESCC.