Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric carcinoma.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to compare the pathoclinical findings in gastric adenocarcinoma with serum IgG antibody to Helicobacter pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined 185 patients with histologically established gastric cancer. The presence of immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibody in the high molecular cell-associated antigen of H. pylori was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pepsinogens I and II were measured by radioimmunoassay. The distribution of H. pylori on the gastric mucosa was assessed by the Campylobacter-like organism test and phenol red dye spraying. RESULTS: H. pylori IgG antibody was detected 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 gastric cancer. No statistical difference in serology was observed between type of gastric cancer, depth of cancer invasion, tumor size or histology. Only in patients with diffuse-type cancer of the cardia was there a lower percentage of positive results (80.0%). The ratio of pepsinogen 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 histological type nor stage of cancer. In the Niigata district, a higher percentage of patients with gastric carcinoma displayed H. pylori antibodies compared with other districts in Japan.