The influence of Helicobacter pylori infection on the progression of gastric mucosal atrophy and occurrence of gastric cancer.
- 1 August 1995
- journal article
- p. S59-62
Abstract
To study the effects of Helicobacter pylori infection on the progression of gastric mucosal atrophy and the development of gastric cancer. We investigated the extension of the atrophic area as assessed on the basis of the Kimura-Takemoto atrophic patterns and the development of gastric cancer in a selected sample of 64 patients who were endoscopically followed up for more than 3 years, and who showed H. pylori infection by culture at the start of the investigation and at some stages during the follow-up. No progression of atrophy was observed in 14 patients who were H. pylori-negative at the beginning of the follow-up, whereas various degrees of expansion of the atrophic area were found in 22% of 50 positive cases. Well differentiated mucosal cancer was diagnosed in four patients during the follow-up. These patients displayed moderate to severe atrophy. At the beginning of the follow-up, 50% of patients were H. pylori culture-positive, but all patients had H. pylori antibodies in their blood. The results support the view that H. pylori infection influences the development of atrophic gastritis and is related to the pathogenesis of gastric cancer.This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: