Artificial Intelligence-Driven Morphology-Based Enrichment of Malignant Cells from Body Fluid.

Cell morphology is a fundamental feature used to evaluate patient specimens in pathologic analysis. However, traditional cytopathology analysis of patient effusion samples is limited by low tumor cell abundance coupled with the high background of nonmalignant cells, restricting the ability of downstream molecular and functional analyses to identify actionable therapeutic targets. We applied the Deepcell platform that combines microfluidic sorting, brightfield imaging, and real-time deep learning interpretations based on multidimensional morphology to enrich carcinoma cells from malignant effusions without cell staining or labels. Carcinoma cell enrichment was validated with whole genome sequencing and targeted mutation analysis, which showed a higher sensitivity for detection of tumor fractions and critical somatic variant mutations that were initially at low levels or undetectable in presort patient samples. Our study demonstrates the feasibility and added value of supplementing traditional morphology-based cytology with deep learning, multidimensional morphology analysis, and microfluidic sorting.

Safety and effectiveness of mucosal traction using a snare combined with endoclips to assist the resection of esophageal intraepithelial neoplasia: a propensity score matching analysis.

Currently, the reports on esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) assisted by traction with a snare are rare. Because a snare is a commonly used endoscopic accessory and is easily available, its application in mucosal traction is worth exploring. The present study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of snare-endoclip traction-assisted ESD for esophageal intraepithelial neoplasia. Cases of esophageal intraepithelial neoplasia resected using ESD in the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Guangzhou Nanfang Hospital, China from June 2013 to March 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The procedure of snare-endoclip traction-assisted ESD was compared with nontraction-assisted ESD by using a propensity score matching analysis. Operation time, en bloc and R0 resection, intra- and postoperative complications, and surgery-related costs were mainly evaluated. Overall, 99 cases of esophageal intraepithelial neoplasia under tissue biopsy were included in the present study. Further, 22 exact matched pairs were obtained. There were no differences in en bloc and R0 resection rates, intra- and postoperative complications, and costs of disposable surgical accessories between the traction group and the nontraction group. However, median operation time showed a significant difference: traction group, 50.0 min (range, 20-100 min); nontraction group, 70.0 min (range, 35-133 min), P=0.012. In conclusion, snare-endoclip traction-assisted ESD for esophageal intraepithelial neoplasia was safe and shortened operation time in the study, thereby improving the efficiency of ESD. Despite the additional use of a snare and endoclips for traction, the total costs of endoscopic accessories seemed not to be increased.

Preparation of PP-g-(AA-MAH) Fibers Using Suspension Grafting and Melt-Blown Spinning and its Adsorption for Aniline.

This paper uses polypropylene (PP) as the matrix and acrylic acid (AA) and maleic anhydride (MAH) as functional monomers to prepare PP-g-(AA-MAH) fibers by suspension grafting and melt-blown spinning technology that are easy to industrially scale-up. The fibers can be used to adsorb aniline. Results showed that the grafting ratio reached the maximum of 12.47%. The corresponding optimal conditions were grafting time of 3 h, AA: MAH = 0.75, total monomer content of 55%, benzoyl peroxide 1.4%, xylene concentration of 6 mL/g PP, and deionized water content of 8 mL/g PP. Owing to its good fluidity and thermal stability, the product of suspension grafting can be used for melt-blown spinning. Infrared spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analyses indicated that AA and MAH were successfully grafted onto PP fibers. After grafting, the hydrophilicity of PP-g-(AA-MAH) fiber increased. Therefore, it had higher absorptivity for aniline and the adsorption capacity could reach 42.2 mg/g at 45 min and pH = 7. Moreover, the PP-g-(AA-MAH) fibers showed good regeneration performance.

Combined PET/CT with thoracic contrast-enhanced CT in assessment of primary cardiac tumors in adult patients.

BACKGROUND: 18F-FDG PET/CT is a key molecular imaging modality to noninvasively assess and differentiate benign and malignant cardiac tumors. However, few benign cardiac tumors can be characterized by increased 18F-FDG uptake, which makes differential diagnosis difficult. This study sought to retrospectively evaluate whether combined 18F-FDG PET/CT with thoracic contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) helps in assessing primary cardiac tumors in adult patients, compared with CECT or PET/CT alone. METHODS: Forty-six consecutive patients who were diagnosed as primary cardiac tumors were enrolled. All patients underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT followed by thoracic CECT before biopsy or surgery. Visual qualitative interpretation and quantitative analysis were performed, and diagnostic performance was evaluated. RESULTS: More than half (16/29) of benign tumors exhibited with mild 18F-FDG uptake. There were significant differences in 18F-FDG uptake and the degree of absolute enhancement between benign and malignant tumors (P < 0.001). The combination of two modalities improved the specificity from 79 to 93%, the positive predictive value from 73 to 89%, and the accuracy of diagnosis from 85 to 93%. There were significant differences between PET/CT alone or thoracic CECT alone and combined modalities (P = 0.034 and P = 0.026, respectively). The combination with the optimal SUVmax cutoff value generated 94% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 97% negative predictive values, 100% positive predictive values, and 98% accuracy rates. CONCLUSIONS: Combining 18F-FDG PET/C with thoracic CECT significantly improved specificity and accuracy compared to CECT or PET/CT alone in detecting tumors. This combination of diagnostic imaging is effective in differentiating malignant from benign masses.

Machine-learning based MRI radiomics models for early detection of radiation-induced brain injury in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Early radiation-induced temporal lobe injury (RTLI) diagnosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is clinically challenging, and prediction models of RTLI are lacking. Hence, we aimed to develop radiomic models for early detection of RTLI. METHODS: We retrospectively included a total of 242 NPC patients who underwent regular follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations, including contrast-enhanced T1-weighted and T2-weighted imaging. For each MRI sequence, four non-texture and 10,320 texture features were extracted from medial temporal lobe, gray matter, and white matter, respectively. The relief and 0.632 + bootstrap algorithms were applied for initial and subsequent feature selection, respectively. Random forest method was used to construct the prediction model. Three models, 1, 2 and 3, were developed for predicting the results of the last three follow-up MRI scans at different times before RTLI onset, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of models. RESULTS: Of the 242 patients, 171 (70.7%) were men, and the mean age of all the patients was 48.5 ± 10.4 years. The median follow-up and latency from radiotherapy until RTLI were 46 and 41 months, respectively. In the testing cohort, models 1, 2, and 3, with 20 texture features derived from the medial temporal lobe, yielded mean AUCs of 0.830 (95% CI: 0.823-0.837), 0.773 (95% CI: 0.763-0.782), and 0.716 (95% CI: 0.699-0.733), respectively. CONCLUSION: The three developed radiomic models can dynamically predict RTLI in advance, enabling early detection and allowing clinicians to take preventive measures to stop or slow down the deterioration of RTLI.

Prognostic value of the radiomics-based model in progression-free survival of hypopharyngeal cancer treated with chemoradiation.

PURPOSE: To develop a radiomics-based model to stratify the risk of early progression (local/regional recurrence or metastasis) among patients with hypopharyngeal cancer undergoing chemoradiotherapy and modify their pretreatment plans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We randomly assigned 113 patients into two cohorts: training (n = 80) and validation (n = 33). The radiomic significant features were selected in the training cohort using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and Akaike information criterion methods, and they were used to build the radiomic model. The concordance index (C-index) was applied to evaluate the model's prognostic performance. A Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank test were used to assess risk stratification ability of models in predicting progression. A nomogram was plotted to predict individual risk of progression. RESULTS: Composed of four significant features, the radiomic model showed good performance in stratifying patients into high- and low-risk groups of progression in both the training and validation cohorts (log-rank test, p = 0.00016, p = 0.0063, respectively). Peripheral invasion and metastasis were selected as significant clinical variables. The combined radiomic-clinical model showed good discriminative performance, with C-indices 0.804 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.688-0.920) and 0.756 (95% CI, 0.605-0.907) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) in the high-risk group was significantly shorter than that in the low-risk group in the training (median PFS, 9.5 m and 19.0 m, respectively; p [log-rank] < 0.0001) and validation (median PFS, 11.3 m and 22.5 m, respectively; p [log-rank] = 0.0063) cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: A radiomics-based model was established to predict the risk of progression in hypopharyngeal cancer with chemoradiotherapy. KEY POINTS: • Clinical information showed limited performance in stratifying the risk of progression among patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. • Imaging features extracted from CECT and NCCT images were independent predictors of PFS. • We combined significant features and valuable clinical variables to establish a nomogram to predict individual risk of progression.

Ion-Imprinted Polypropylene Fibers Fabricated by the Plasma-Mediated Grafting Strategy for Efficient and Selective Adsorption of Cr(VI).

To improve the adsorption selectivity towards hexavalent chromium anion (Cr(VI)), surface Cr(VI)-imprinted polypropylene (PP) fibers were fabricated by the plasma-mediated grafting strategy. Hence, a non-thermal Rradio frequency discharge plasma irradiation followed by a gaseous phase grafting was used to load acrylic acid (AA) onto PP fibers, which was afterwards amidated with triethylenetetramine and subjected to imprinting with a Cr(VI) template. The plasma irradiation conditions, i.e., gas species, output power, pressure, and time, were optimized and then the influence of grafting time, pressure, and temperature on the grafting degree of AA was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used for the characterization of pristine and modified fibers and to confirm the synthesis success. The hydrophilicity of modified fibers was greatly improved compared with pristine PP fibers. The adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics of Cr(VI) were investigated, as well as the elution efficiency and reusability. The prepared imprinted fibers showed superior adsorption selectivity to Cr(VI) compared with non-imprinted fibers. Finally, the stability of the imprinted fibers against the oxidation ability of Cr(VI) is discussed.

Radiomic Nomogram: Pretreatment Evaluation of Local Recurrence in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma based on MR Imaging.

Background: To develop and validate a radiomic nomogram incorporating radiomic features with clinical variables for individual local recurrence risk assessment in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients before initial treatment. Methods: One hundred and forty patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 80) and a validation cohort (n = 60). A total of 970 radiomic features were extracted from pretreatment magnetic resonance (MR) images of NPC patients from May 2007 to December 2013. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used for selecting radiomic features associated with local recurrence, and multivariate analyses was used for building radiomic nomogram. Results: Eight contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (CET1-w) image features and seven T2-weighted (T2-w) image features were selected to build a Cox proportional hazard model in the training cohort, respectively. The radiomic nomogram, which combined radiomic features and multiple clinical variables, had a good evaluation ability (C-index: 0.74 [95% CI: 0.58, 0.85]) in the validation cohort. The radiomic nomogram successfully categorized those patients into low- and high-risk groups with significant differences in the rate of local recurrence-free survival (P <0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that MR imaging-based radiomics can be used as an aid tool for the evaluation of local recurrence, in order to develop tailored treatment targeting specific characteristics of individual patients.

Development and validation of a magnetic resonance imaging-based model for the prediction of distant metastasis before initial treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to identify a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based model for assessment of the risk of individual distant metastasis (DM) before initial treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: This retrospective cohort analysis included 176 patients with NPC. Using the PyRadiomics platform, we extracted the imaging features of primary tumors in all patients who did not exhibit DM before treatment. Subsequently, we used minimum redundancy-maximum relevance and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithms to select the strongest features and build a logistic model for DM prediction. The independent statistical significance of multiple clinical variables was tested using multivariate logistic regression analysis. FINDINGS: In total, 2780 radiomic features were extracted. A DM MRI-based model (DMMM) comprising seven features was constructed for the classification of patients into high- and low-risk groups in a training cohort and validated in an independent cohort. Overall survival was significantly shorter in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group (P < 0·001). A radiomics nomogram based on radiomic features and clinical variables was developed for DM risk assessment in each patient, and it showed a significant predictive ability in the training [area under the curve (AUC), 0·827; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.754-0.900] and validation (AUC, 0.792; 95% CI, 0.633-0.952) cohorts. INTERPRETATION: DMMM can serve as a visual prognostic tool for DM prediction in NPC, and it can improve treatment decisions by aiding in the differentiation of patients with high and low risks of DM. FUND: This research received financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81571664, 81871323, 81801665, 81771924, 81501616, 81671851, and 81527805); the National Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2018B030311024); the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province (2016A020216020); the Scientific Research General Project of Guangzhou Science Technology and Innovation Commission (201707010328); the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2016M600145); and the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFA0205200, 2017YFC1308700, and 2017YFC1309100).

"Hepatic Superscan" in a Patient With Hepatosplenic Alphabeta T-cell Lymphoma: 18F-FDG PET/CT Findings.

A 36-year-old woman with a 2-week history of fever and markedly elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels. Nonenhanced CT and contrast-enhanced CT showed hepatosplenomegaly, diffusely decreased attenuation of the liver, and homogeneous enhancement in the hepatic and splenic parenchyma. F-FDG PET/CT revealed diffuse intense heterogeneous uptake by the liver (like superscan in bone scintigraphy). A liver needle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of hepatosplenic alphabeta T-cell lymphoma. Subsequently, she received chemotherapy. The follow-up F-FDG PET/CT showed decreased F-FDG uptake in the liver and spleen.

Preoperative prediction of sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer based on radiomics of T2-weighted fat-suppression and diffusion-weighted MRI.

OBJECTIVES: To predict sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis in breast cancer patients using radiomics based on T2-weighted fat suppression (T2-FS) and diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI). METHODS: We enrolled 146 patients with histologically proven breast cancer. All underwent pretreatment T2-FS and DWI MRI scan. In all, 10,962 texture and four non-texture features were extracted for each patient. The 0.623 + bootstrap method and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to select the features. We constructed ten logistic regression models (orders of 1-10) based on different combination of image features using stepwise forward method. RESULTS: For T2-FS, model 10 with ten features yielded the highest AUC of 0.847 in the training set and 0.770 in the validation set. For DWI, model 8 with eight features reached the highest AUC of 0.847 in the training set and 0.787 in the validation set. For joint T2-FS and DWI, model 10 with ten features yielded an AUC of 0.863 in the training set and 0.805 in the validation set. CONCLUSIONS: Full utilisation of breast cancer-specific textural features extracted from anatomical and functional MRI images improves the performance of radiomics in predicting SLN metastasis, providing a non-invasive approach in clinical practice. KEY POINTS: • SLN biopsy to access breast cancer metastasis has multiple complications. • Radiomics uses features extracted from medical images to characterise intratumour heterogeneity. • We combined T 2 -FS and DWI textural features to predict SLN metastasis non-invasively.

A modified endoscopic method for resection of gastric submucosal tumor.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic mucosa-sparing lateral dissection (EMSLD) was developed by our group, and is used to remove gastric submucosal tumor (SMT). This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and safety of this method. METHODS: This retrospective study included 25 patients who underwent EMSLDs at an endoscopy center as a national key unit in china from October 2015 to July 2016. The main data collected were the size of the gastric SMT, its location and origin, en bloc resection rate, operating time, intraoperative and postoperative complications, hospitalization expense, hospital days, and follow-up after hospital discharge. RESULTS: The mean (SD) size of the gastric SMTs was 18.3 (5.9) mm; 96% (24/25) of the tumors originated in the muscularis propria; and 64% (16/25) and 28% (7/25) were located in the gastric fundus and gastric body, respectively. The rate of en bloc resection was 96% (24/25), and the rate of intraoperative perforations due to endoscopic full-thickness resection was 48% (12/25). All wounds and perforations were effectively closed using endoscopic clips combined with the retained mucosa. The mean operative time was 74.2 (38.0) min. Delayed bleeding and perforation were not observed. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic mucosa-sparing lateral dissection is safe and feasible for the removal of gastric SMTs. The wound can be effectively closed using the retained mucosa and endoscopic clips, even if perforation has occurred. EMSLD provides an alternative to the resection of gastric SMTs, especially for tumors with a risk of intraoperative perforation.

Significance of imaging and clinical features in the differentiation between primary and secondary pulmonary lymphoma.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the differences in imaging and clinical features between primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) and secondary pulmonary lymphoma (SPL) to provide insight into pulmonary lymphoma for an improved clinical diagnosis. A retrospective study of 38 patients with pulmonary lymphoma (19 PPL and 19 SPL) treated between September 1, 2006, and December 31, 2015, was performed. The clinical manifestations, and computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography-CT images of each case were collected. χ2 and Fisher's exact tests were applied to assess statistically significant differences between PPL and SPL in terms of clinical and imaging features. The significant variables were further applied to canonical discriminate analysis. The CT results revealed that the occurrence of a >3-cm mass (P=0.007), peripheral location (lower than the segmental bronchi) (P=0.027), cavitation (P=0.008) and consolidation (P=0.027) were associated with PPL, while peripheral and hilar location (P=0.003) or mediastinal and hilar lymph node engagement (P=0.044) were predominantly observed in SPL. However, no significant differences between clinical manifestations and the maximum standard uptake value of pulmonary lesions in PPL and SPL were identified (all P>0.05). A function derived from discriminate analysis was generated that may predict the affiliation to PPL or SPL radiographically, with an overall accuracy of ≤92.1%. The results of the present study revealed that PPL and SPL exhibit distinctive features on CT images due to distinct molecular mechanisms and growth patterns. Careful observation of CT features may be useful in the diagnosis of PPL and SPL regarding the tumor morphology, location and lymph node involvement.

Lymph node metastasis in head and neck squamous carcinoma: Efficacy of intravoxel incoherent motion magnetic resonance imaging for the differential diagnosis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the value of pure molecular diffusion(D), perfusion-related diffusion (D*), perfusion fraction (f) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) based on intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) theory for differential diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 29 patients with HNSCC and 20 patients with lymph node hyperplasia (LNH) were enrolled in this retrospective study, underwent magnetic resonance (MR) examination. IVIM Diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) was performed with 13 b values. D, D*, f and ADC values were compared between two groups. The diagnostic value of ADC, D, D* and D·D* value were evaluated by Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Two radiologists measured D, D*, f and ADC values independently. RESULTS: 33 malignant LNs in HNSCC group and 22 benign LNs in LNH group (minimum diameter, ≥5mm) were successfully examined, ADC(P<0.05), D (P<0.01) and f (P<0.01) were significantly lower in malignant LNs than that in benign LNs, whereas D* was significantly higher (P<0.01). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for D·D* was 0.983 and was larger than that for D* (0.952), D (0.78) and ADC (0.67). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that IVIM DWI is feasible in the diagnosis of LN metastasis. D was significantly decreased in malignant LNs reflected increased nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio tissue, and D* was significantly increased reflected increased blood vessel generation and parenchymal perfusion in malignant LNs.

Radiomics Features of Multiparametric MRI as Novel Prognostic Factors in Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Purpose: To identify MRI-based radiomics as prognostic factors in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Experimental Design: One-hundred and eighteen patients (training cohort: n = 88; validation cohort: n = 30) with advanced NPC were enrolled. A total of 970 radiomics features were extracted from T2-weighted (T2-w) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (CET1-w) MRI. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was applied to select features for progression-free survival (PFS) nomograms. Nomogram discrimination and calibration were evaluated. Associations between radiomics features and clinical data were investigated using heatmaps.Results: The radiomics signatures were significantly associated with PFS. A radiomics signature derived from joint CET1-w and T2-w images showed better prognostic performance than signatures derived from CET1-w or T2-w images alone. One radiomics nomogram combined a radiomics signature from joint CET1-w and T2-w images with the TNM staging system. This nomogram showed a significant improvement over the TNM staging system in terms of evaluating PFS in the training cohort (C-index, 0.761 vs. 0.514; P < 2.68 × 10-9). Another radiomics nomogram integrated the radiomics signature with all clinical data, and thereby outperformed a nomogram based on clinical data alone (C-index, 0.776 vs. 0.649; P < 1.60 × 10-7). Calibration curves showed good agreement. Findings were confirmed in the validation cohort. Heatmaps revealed associations between radiomics features and tumor stages.Conclusions: Multiparametric MRI-based radiomics nomograms provided improved prognostic ability in advanced NPC. These results provide an illustrative example of precision medicine and may affect treatment strategies. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4259-69. ©2017 AACR.

Immunotherapy for patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma: a promising treatment.

There are limited data on the safety and efficacy of immunotherapy for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (APC). A meta-analysis of single-arm trials is proposed to assess the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy for APC. Eighteen relevant studies involving 527 patients were identified. The pooled disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and 1-year survival rate were estimated as 59.32%, 7.90 months, 4.25 months, and 30.12%, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the pooled OS, PFS, and 1-year survival rate were significantly higher for autologous activated lymphocyte therapy compared with peptide-based vaccine therapy (OS: 8.28 months vs. 7.40 months; PFS: 6.04 months vs. 3.86 months; 1-year survival rate: 37.17% vs. 19.74%). Another subgroup analysis demonstrated that the pooled endpoints were estimated as obviously higher for immunotherapy plus chemotherapy compared with immunotherapy alone (DCR: 62.51% vs. 47.63%; OS: 8.67 months vs. 4.91 months; PFS: 4.91 months vs. 3.34 months; 1-year survival rate: 32.32% vs. 21.43%). Of the included trials, seven trials reported no treatment related adverse events , five trials reported (16.6 ± 3.9) % grade 3 adverse events and no grade 4 adverse events. In conclusion, immunotherapy is safe and effective in the treatment of APC.

Analysis of alarming signals for the progression of atrophic gastritis to dysplasia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: atrophic gastritis (AG) and dysplasia are precancerous lesions, with which early surveillance of disease progression is particularly important for patients. The present study aimed to explore potential alarming signals for atrophic gastritis progression towards dysplasia. METHODS: clinical data for patients with AG in the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Guangzhou Nanfang Hospital between 2001 and 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Survival analysis, dichotomous logistic regression analysis and rank correlation analysis were carried out. RESULTS: in 234 patients with atrophic gastritis, after follow up of 0.5, 1, 2, 5 and 10 years, the occurrence rates of dysplasia were respectively 2.3, 4.4, 9.6, 19.3, and 42.4%. Patients with AG combined with antral ulcer or gastric angle ulcer, had a higher risk for dysplasia than patients with simple AG (OR = 2.427, 95%Cl 1.069 ~ 5.511, p = 0.034; OR = 2.961, 95%Cl 1.336 ~ 6.564, p = 0.008). The constituent ratios of moderate to severe dysplasia were respectively 8.6, 2.7 and 1.2% (p = 0.000) in three patient groups: AG combined with antral ulcer/gastric angle ulcer (n = 255), antral ulcer/gastric angle ulcer alone (n = 1,389), and AG alone (n = 3,106). The Spearman correlation coefficients between a) Hp infection; and b) atrophy, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia were -0.114 (p = 0.078), -0.169 (p = 0.009) and 0.064 (p > 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: long follow-up interval and gastric ulcer may be alarming signals for the progression of AG to dysplasia. But in patients with atrophy, intestinal metaplasia or dysplasia, Hp infection may not be a risk factor for these lesions aggravated, further studies are required to confirm it.