Gastric Malignancies (gastric + malignancy)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Age at Acquisition of Helicobacter pylori Infection: Comparison of Two Areas with Contrasting Risk of Gastric Cancer

HELICOBACTER, Issue 3 2004
M. Constanza Camargo
ABSTRACT Background.,Helicobacter pylori infection is usually acquired during childhood and is a known risk factor for the development of gastric malignancies in adulthood. It has been reported that early age at first infection may determine a neoplastic outcome in adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in children residing in areas with high (Pasto) and low risk (Tumaco) of gastric cancer in Colombia to evaluate whether differences in the age of acquisition of H. pylori infection were present in the two populations. Materials and Methods., The study sample was based on a census taken in 1999. Using the 13C-urea breath test, we compared the prevalence of H. pylori infection among children aged 1,6 years. Results., Among 345 children in Pasto, 206 (59.7%) were H. pylori -positive, compared with 188 (58.6%) among 321 children in Tumaco. The two populations share a common pattern of very early age at infection and marked increase in prevalence during the first 4 years of life. No differences in any one year were observed when comparing the two groups. Conclusions., The prevalence of infection was similarly high and increased with age in both populations. In these populations the age of acquisition of H. pylori after 1 year of age does not appear to be a primary factor responsible for the differences in the rates of gastric cancer incidence in adults. Previous findings in adults showed lower prevalence of the most virulent genotypes in Tumaco compared to Pasto, and bacterial virulence may play a key role in determining cancer outcome. [source]


Serologic Prevalence of Antibodies to Helicobacter pylori in Internationally Adopted Children

HELICOBACTER, Issue 3 2003
Laurie C. Miller
ABSTRACT Background.Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has been linked to gastritis, diarrhea, peptic ulcers, failure-to-thrive, anemia, as well as predisposition to gastric malignancies. Because many internationally adopted children have diarrhea, failure-to-thrive, and anemia on arrival to the US, we determined the prevalence of HP antibodies among these children. Methods. Serum samples from 226 unselected children from 18 countries who were evaluated in the International Adoption Clinic at New England Medical Center were tested for antibodies to H. pylori. The results of serologic screening were analyzed in relation to age at adoption, site of residence prior to adoption, weight and height, and the presence or absence of anemia, diarrhea, or intestinal parasites. Results. 31% of internationally adopted children had antibodies to H. pylori. The presence of H. pylori -antibodies was associated with residence in an orphanage (vs. foster care) prior to adoption, older age at adoption, and coinfection with intestinal parasites. No direct effects on height or weight were identified; no associations with diarrhea or anemia were found. Conclusions. Internationally adopted children have a high incidence of exposure to H. pylori, as diagnosed serologically. Residence in an orphanage (compared with foster care), older age at adoption, and coinfection with intestinal parasites were more common among children seropositive for anti- H. pylori antibodies. [source]


Proteomic identification of biomarkers related to Helicobacter pylori -associated gastroduodenal disease: Challenges and opportunities

JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 11 2008
Ming-Shiang Wu
Abstract Helicobacter pylori colonize the stomach of over half the world's population. While 80,90% H. pylori -infected individuals have clinically asymptomatic gastritis, 10,15% develop peptic ulcer, and 1,2% gastric malignancies. These variable clinical outcomes have led to an interest in prognostic indicators. The current disease paradigm suggests that host genetics and bacterial virulence both play important roles in modulating the final outcome of H. pylori infection. Elucidation of the interaction between host and bacterium is essential to clarify pathogenesis and to develop new strategies for prevention and treatment. Proteomic technology is a powerful tool for simultaneously monitoring proteins and protein variation on a large scale in biological samples. It has provided an unprecedented opportunity to survey a cell's translational landscape comprehensively, and the results may allow in-depth analyses of host and pathogen interactions. Using this high-throughput platform and taking advantage of complete sequences for both the H. pylori and the human genome in available databases, we have identified several crucial proteins that have pathogenic and prognostic potential. Among them, antibodies to AhpC and GroEs of H. pylori could be utilized for identification of patients who are at high risk of disease complications after H. pylori infection. Evolving proteomic technologies, together with appropriate clinical phenotyping and genotype information should enhance understanding of disease pathogenesis and lead to more precise prediction of variable disease outcomes. It will also facilitate development of biomarkers for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of H. pylori infection. [source]


Detection of Helicobacter pylori infection in symptomatic Bulgarian adults

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 9 2007
L. Boyanova
Abstract This study assessed the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in symptomatic Bulgarian adults by means of culture, Gram's stain and an in-house rapid urease test (RUT), and also assessed the H. pylori density by culture. In total, 1441 non-treated and 270 treated patients were evaluated. Most non-treated patients with ulcers (87.7%), gastric malignancy (79.2%) and other gastroduodenal diseases (73.4%) were H. pylori- positive. Among non-treated and treated patients, 75.3% and 54.8%, respectively, of elderly patients, and 78.3% and 56.1%, respectively, of other adults were H. pylori- positive. Two (0.1%) non-treated adults were Helicobacter heilmannii -positive. The accuracy of direct Gram's stain and the in-house RUT were 74.8% and 64.2% in non-treated patients, and 73.7% and 63.0% in treated patients, respectively. Culture was highly accurate (>95%) in both groups. Older age decreased the sensitivity of the RUT in non-treated patients by 10.7% and that of all tests in treated patients by 6.9,8.1%. Incubation for 11 days was required for the growth of 2% and 4% of the strains from treated patients on selective and non-selective medium, respectively. There were no differences in isolation rates between positive fresh (74.2%) and frozen (75.2%) specimens. In non-treated adults, a high H. pylori density (growth in all quadrants of the plates) was more common (43.1%) in ulcer patients than in other patients (25.4%). In conclusion, H. pylori infection was common in Bulgarian patients, and at a high density in >40% of ulcer patients, while H. heilmannii infection was uncommon. Culture provided a highly accurate diagnostic approach. Stomach biopsies from non-treated patients can be frozen for several days. The benefit of reporting H. pylori density, as determined by culture, requires further evaluation. [source]