Relationship between Gastric Cancers and Trio of Helicobacter Pylori

Background: In 1994 Helicobacter pylori was classified as class 1 human carcinogen by the IARC (WHO), based on epidemiological evidence. Experimental evidence was subsequently provided by Wantabe et al. This has triggered several studies on the prevalence of H. pylori in patients with Gastric cancers in various regions of the world. In Africa the infection rate in various populations as reported by some studies are not parallel to the incidence of morbidity caused by this infection.
Objective: To determine the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection, Chronic gastritis, Gastric mucosal intestinal metaplasia with Gastric cancers.
Methodology: This was a retrospective histopathological study of all gastric cancers with adjacent non – cancerous epithelium seen between January 2005 and December 2012 in the department of Histopathology, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). Blocks and archival slides were used for the study.
Results: Out of the 79 cases of gastric cancers seen within the study period, only 46 cases had adjacent non-cancerous epithelium and were included in the study. This comprises of 38 cases of Adenocarcinoma and 8 other tumours. Chronic gastritis was seen in 33 (71.7%) cases. Intestinal metaplasia was present in 14 (30.4%), while H. pylori was seen in only 7 (15.2%) cases.
Conclusions: Gastric cancers are not rare in Jos and there is a relationship between it and the trio of H. pylori infection, chronic gastritis and gastric mucosal intestinal metaplasia.