Revista de Bioanálise e Biomedicina

Helicobacter pylori Infection is Associated with an Increased Risk of Developing Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oesophagus. A Cross Sectional Case Control Prospective Study

Abstract

Kgomo M*, Elnagar AA, Mokoena T, Mashoshoe S and Nagel GJ

Helicobacter pylori is an important causative factor in gastric carcinogenesis, its role in extra-gastric gastrointestinal malignancies such as oesophageal cancer, is controversial. H. pylori is thought to be associated with an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus. We conducted a case control study to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus and control group with no cancer.

Method: We collected biopsies from the antrum and corpus of 59 patients with confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus, two from each area and 215 control groups with no cancer. These were then examined by an experienced histo-pathologist using Giemsa staining for the presence of H. pylori. CLO was added to those with bleeding ulcers.

Results: H. pylori was found in 30 (51%) of the patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus and 46 (21%) of the control group. The prevalence was found to be more than double of the control group in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus. A relative risk of 2.4 p<0.001 CI OF 95%.

Conclusion: H. pylori infection is associated with an increased risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus with a relative risk of 2.4. This is in keeping with several studies done previously.