Atrophic progression induced by H. pylori infection is correlated with a changing pepsinogen I value and associated with the development of gastric cancer.

It is well known that H. pylori infection induces gastric mucosal atrophy, and patients with gastric cancer, which is often complicated by H. pylori infection, possess gastric mucosal atrophy including intestinal metaplasia as a background. One hundred forty-seven patients with dyspeptic symptom and without gastric cancer diagnosed at first endoscopy have been prospectively studied to detect early gastric cancer every year by endoscopy for approximately 6 years. The status of H. pylori infection was detected by histology and ELISA, the value of pepsinogen I (PGI) determined by ELISA, and atrophic pattern determined by the histology of multiple specimens. After the follow-up period (mean, 6.1 years), 6 early gastric cancers had developed in the 49 H. pylori-positive patients with transformation of the atrophic pattern, and no cancer had developed in either the 48 H. pylori-positive patients without transformation of the atrophic pattern or the 50 H. pylori-negative patients. There is a significant relationship between the incidence of transformation of the atrophic pattern and that of the development of gastric cancer in the H. pylori-positive patients. PGI per year in the H. pylori-positive group with transformation of the atrophic pattern was significantly decreased compared with that in the other two groups. Gastric cancers have a background of progressive atrophy, and PGI per year can be a good marker to detect gastric cancer at early stages which is developing or has developed on the background of atrophic progression.