Assessing gastric cancer risk using the OLGA and OLGIM systems in Republic of Moldova

Gastric cancer is still an important public health problem. Efforts have been made to lower its prevalence globally. The Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment (OLGA) and operating link for gastric intestinal metaplasia (OLGIM) histological grading systems have been proposed to identify individuals with types of gastritis that have the potential to become malignant.

Our study was conducted to assess the value of OLGA and OLGIM systems in the diagnosis of gastric precancerous lesions, in the Moldovan population.

In a prospective study, 142 consecutive patients with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) from a larger group of patients referred to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for dyspeptic symptoms or gastric cancer screening was investigated. The sample was divided into three groups: (a) CAG without intestinal metaplasia and gastric dysplasia; (b) CAG with intestinal metaplasia; (c) CAG with gastric dysplasia according to the morphological type of the lesion. GastroPanel biomarkers were correlated with OLGA and OLGIM stages.

There was a direct, moderate and statistically significant correlation between types of CAG and OLGA stages (p < 0.001), a direct, weak and statistically significant correlation between forms of chronic atrophic gastritis and OLGIM stages (p < 0.001). A statistically significant reduction in Pepsinogen I and the Pepsinogen-I/Pepsinogen-II ratio was observed alongside an increase in the stages of the OLGA and OLGIM systems.

OLGA and OLGIM systems are useful tools in diagnosing CAG. This is the first study assessing the use of this systems in the Moldovan population.