Non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma and Helicobacter pylori infection

The seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to Helicobacter pylori (Hp-Ab) was studied in 47 patients (29M, 18F, mean age +/- SD: 62.44 +/- 12.63 years) with non-cardia gastric carcinoma using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Controls were: a) 50 healthy people well-matched with the cancer patients; b) 50 patients with dyspepsia well matched with the cancer patients. Hp-Ab were detected in 72.3% of patients with gastric carcinoma, in 68% of healthy people and in 88% of dyspeptics. No significant associations were found between H. pylori infection and gastric cancer patients as a whole (odds ratio: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.514-2.95). In addition, no significant associations were found between H. pylori infection and the various subsets of cancer patients. These findings do not support an association between H. pylori infection and non-cardia gastric carcinoma in Greece.