Abstract
BackgroundAlthough the association between H. pylori and gastric cancer has been well described, the alterations studies are scarce in the humoral immune response in specific anatomical areas of stomach and during the stages of gastric cancer. The aim in this study was to determine the influence of humoral immune responses against H. pylori infection on gastric carcinoma.MethodsWe selected 16 gastric cancer cases and approximately one matched control per case at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ); all the cases met the inclusion criteria for the study. We obtained three biopsies from each patient and from each of the predetermined regions of the stomach: antrum, angular portion, corpus, and fundus. From the patients with gastric cancer, additional biopsy specimens were obtained from tumor mid-lesion and tumor margin, and additional specimens were collected at least 2 and 5 cm from the tumor margin. We compared IgA levels against H. pylori in each area of stomach between cases and controls as well as between early and advanced stages of gastric cancer.ResultsIgA values were strikingly elevated in cancer cases compared with control subjects; a value that was even higher in the distant periphery of tumor but was remarkably decreased toward the carcinoma lesion. The advanced stages of gastric cancer demonstrated the relapse of the humoral immune response in the mid-lesion region of the tumor compared with the tumor margins and adjacent non-tumor tissue.ConclusionsGastric cancer is characterized by progressive accumulation of a concentrated, specific IgA response against H. pylori, beginning with an abnormal increase in the entire stomach but particularly in the adjacent non-tumor tissue. Thus, it is possible that this strong immune response also participates in some degree in the damage and in the development of gastric cancer to some extent.
Highlights
The association between H. pylori and gastric cancer has been well described, the alterations studies are scarce in the humoral immune response in specific anatomical areas of stomach and during the stages of gastric cancer
We previously showed that the antrum and the corpus are the major anatomic sites colonized by H. pylori in patients with gastric cancer [3]
We found that 64.3 % of the patients of the normal anatomical and 93.8 % of the gastric cancer patient areas were colonized by H. pylori
Summary
The association between H. pylori and gastric cancer has been well described, the alterations studies are scarce in the humoral immune response in specific anatomical areas of stomach and during the stages of gastric cancer. The aim in this study was to determine the influence of humoral immune responses against H. pylori infection on gastric carcinoma. H. pylori infection is acquired mainly in the first years of life and persists for decades, causing chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcers, and gastric ulcers, and is a significant risk factor for the development of gastric adenocarcinoma [2]. Factors other than H. pylori infection, which can predispose an individual to gastric cancer have been identified, among them are achlorhydria and oxyntic atrophy [10]. The relationship between gastric cancer development and the strength of local humoral immune responses against H. pylori is poorly understood
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