GASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA AND HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION

Gastric adenocarcinoma is of major importance worldwide as a cause of death from malignant disease. It is the commonest malignant tumor in T.U. Teaching Hospital. Helicobacter pylori infection is an important risk factor for the development of gastric cancer. This prospective study was carried out to correlate H. pylori infection with gastric adenocarcinoma. This study was done from January 1999 to January 2000; included 38 cases of gastric adenocarcinomas of which 28 (73.69%) cases were tubular type; 6 (15.79%) cases were signet-ring cell type; 2 (5.26%) cases were papillary type and 2 (5.26%) cases were mucinous type. Gastric adenocarcinomas were more common in male (73.68%) and after the age of 50 years. Giemsa staining revealed H. pylori in 30 cases (78.95%) of adenocarcinomas; whereas H. pylori seropositivity (IgG) was found in 29 (76.31%) cases. H. pylori were histologically detected in 88.3% cases of resected specimens and in 71.4% cases of endoscopic gastric biopsies. Both histological method and serological test showed positivity for H. pylori in 65.78% cases. Thus, H. pylori infection is associated with gastric carcinognesis Key Words: Gastric adenocarcinoma, Helicobacter pylori, Giemsa stain.