Ecological study of association between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer in Taiwan.

The association between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer remains controversial. A community-based serosurvey was carried out in Taiwan to investigate the association. Serum IgG antibodies against Helicobacter pylori were examined in 728 subjects randomly selected from three townships with different gastric cancer mortality rates. The overall seropositivity of Helicobacter pylori was 54.7% (398/728) with no gender difference (males: 54.5%; females: 54.8%). The seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori progressively increased with age in all three study townships. The age-specific seropositivity of Helicobacter pylori correlated well with age-adjusted gastric cancer mortality in the three townships. The difference in seropositivity was more profound in younger age groups. The ecological study in Taiwan suggests an association between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori infection in early childhood may be a key issue; in addition, a long induction time appears to be required for gastric carcinogenesis.