Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Gastric Carcinoma in the Van Region of Turkey

Abstract

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection was assessed in endoscopic biopsies of 39 patients with gastric cancer (23 male, 16 female). Biopsies were taken both from the cancerous and peripheal sites of the cancer (Ca) tissues and evaluated with Giemsa staining method. In a control group of 59 patients (34 male, 26 female), endoscopic biopsies were evaluated by the same method. H. pylori was positive in 56.4 % (22/39) of gastric Ca patients at the peripheral site biopsies while it was only 25.6 % positive (10/39) in the cancer tissues. H. pylori positivity was 36.6 % (22/60) in the control group. Thus, the prevalance of H. pylori infection was evaluated as significantly high (p<0.05) in the peripheal site biopsies of gastric Ca patients. The cumulation of H. pylori was 47.6 % in the cardia, 55.5 % in the corpus and 66.6 % in the antrum. In conclusion, gastric Ca is significantly related to H. pylori infection in the Van region. Public health education, the recognition of transmission routes and successful eradication therapy are the cornerstones of future prevention of gastric carcinogenesis.