Abdominal Ultrasound Combined with Laboratory Tests as a Reliable, Easily Accessible and Cost-Effective Way of Assessing the Stages of Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: In the last two decades, the simple low-cost abdominal ultrasound (US) examination for the diagnosis of advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis was displaced by very expensive and not readily available modern imaging systems like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scan and transient elastography. The aim of this study is to evaluate and emphasize the potential of US for diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. METHODS: US, laboratory tests (blood counts, transaminases, aspartate platelet ratio index [APRI], international normalized ratio [INR], serum albumin and bilirubin) and liver biopsy were performed on 197 patients with chronic liver diseases. Development of liver fibrosis was categorized in six stages, with stages 1-3 considered as mild to moderate and stages 4-6 as advanced fibrosis. Sonographic parameters (interrupted liver surface line, nodularity of liver surface, biconvexity of liver edges, grade of liver angle, caudate lobe diameter, parenchyma echotexture and spleen size) were obtained. All variables were dichotomized into zero and one and compared with respect to the different stages of liver fibrosis. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of all variables as well as their summations scores through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were calculated for the correct histologic diagnosis. RESULTS: Totally, 39 cases had severe fibrosis and cirrhosis and 158 had mild to moderate fibrosis. The area under the curve by ROC curve analysis of sonographic variables (surface nodularity, angle of left lobe, echotexture of liver and spleen size) was 85%, that of laboratory data (APRI, serum albumin and INR combined) was 83.8%, that of APRI alone was 81.8% and all combined (sonography and lab data together) was 92.4% for the correct diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The simple US examination, alone or combined with lab data, is able to diagnose advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis with excellent accuracy, making the use of other modern imaging modalities unnecessary.

A Population-Based Cross-sectional Study on the Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Rafsanjan, a Low Gastric Cancer Area in Southeast Iran.

Background: Despite all improvements in sanitation and exposure to antibiotics over time, Helicobacter pylori (HP) prevalence remains high, affecting the lives of about half of the world population, which can gradually lead to serious upper gastrointestinal disorders. Understanding HP's epidemiologic patterns help us to better manage the burden of this infection and to plan more effectively regarding potential screening or eradication strategies. We, therefore, aimed to report the crude and age- and sex-standardized prevalence rate of HP infection, its trend, and possible associated factors among asymptomatic healthy individuals in Rafsanjan city, a low-incidence area of gastric cancer (GC) in the southeast of Iran, from July 2018 to December 2021. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional descriptive study included 2,046 male and female subjects between 3 to 72 years who were in good health condition. Study participants were randomly selected from the Health Houses and each underwent a questionnaire-based interview and provided blood and feces samples. The presence of HP infection was detected by serum IgG antibodies and stool antigen test. Results: The overall and age- and sex-standardized prevalence rates of HP infection were 50.9% and 43%, respectively. The prevalence rate has notably decreased in all age groups compared with 2007. Also, it was significantly higher among men (P=0.033) and increased with advancing age (P<0.001). A higher population density living in a specific room area (P=0.012) increased the likelihood of HP infection. Conclusion: To conclude, the prevalence of HP infection is decreasing over time in Rafsanjan city, which may be due to improvements in living standards in this area. A healthy lifestyle and adherence to hygienic principles, especially during childhood, may be required for a reduction in the prevalence of HP infection.

Sequential metronidazole-furazolidone or clarithromycin-furazolidone compared to clarithromycin-based quadruple regimens for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcer disease: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Furazolidone is a much cheaper drug with a very low resistance against Helicobacter pylori compared to clarithromycin. We aim to evaluate safety and efficacy of a sequential furazolidone-based regimen versus clarithromycin-based therapy in H. pylori eradication for ulcer disease. MATERIALS: Patients with proven peptic ulcer or duodenitis were randomized into three groups: OAB-M-F; metronidazole (M) (500 mg bid) for the first 5 days, followed by furazolidone (F) (200 mg bid) for the second 5 days; OAC-P; clarithromycin (C) (500 mg bid) for 10 days; and OAB-C-F; clarithromycin (500 mg bid) for the first 5 days and furazolidone (200 mg bid) for the second 5 days. All groups received omeprazole (O) (20 mg bid) and amoxicillin (A) (1 g bid). Groups OAB-M-F and OAB-C-F were also given bismuth subcitrate (B) (240 mg bid), whereas a placebo (P) was given to group OAC-P. Adverse events were scored and recorded. Two months after treatment, a C(13) -urea breath test was performed. RESULTS: Three hundred and ten patients were enrolled and 92 (OAB-M-F), 95 (OAC-P), and 98 (OAB-C-F) completed the study. The intention-to-treat eradication rates were 78.5% (95% CI = 69-85), 81.1% (95% CI = 73-88), and 82% (95% CI = 74-89), and per-protocol eradication rates were 91.3% (95% CI = 83-96), 90.4% (95% CI = 82-95), and 88.7% (95% CI = 81-94), for group OAB-M-F, OAC-P, and OAB-C-F, respectively. Eradication rate differences did not reach statistical significance. The most common adverse event, bad taste, occurred in all groups, but more frequently in groups OAC-P (34%) and OAB-C-F (32%), than OAB-M-F (14%) (p < .05). Adverse symptoms score were 0.88 ± 2.05 in group OAB-M-F, 1.15 ± 1.40 in group OAC-P, and 1.87 ± 1.62 in group OAB-C-F. CONCLUSION: Furazolidone can replace clarithromycin in H. pylori eradication regimens because of lack of development of resistance and very low cost.

Evaluation of the Relevance of Research Articles Published 50 Years Ago in Key Scientific Journals in the USA, England and Germany: Introduction of 50 Years Impact Index in Addition to Impact Factor.

The aim of this study was to assess the current applicability of articles that show important advances in medicine. The recruited papers include those published fifty years ago in the most respected journals in the USA, England and Germany. Using PubMed Central citations since 2010, original articles closely related to papers published in 1966 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the Lancet and the Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift (DMW) were identified. In the NEJM, there were 163 observational articles, 18 clinical, and 117 case reports. In the Lancet, there were 390 observational articles, 29 diagnostic, 82 therapeutic, 38 animal, 28 in vitro studies and 61 case reports. In the DMW, there were 77 observational articles, 39 therapeutic, 28 diagnostic, 7 animal, 4 in vitro, 9 other studies and 57 case reports. The number of highly relevant articles still currently cited were determined as 12/298 (4%) in the NEJM, 11/ 628 (1.7%) in the Lancet and 1/221 (0.45%) in the DMW (0.45%). It was concluded that "halfhundred years impact index" should be regarded as a measure of 'relevance and quality over time'. Combined with impact factor, it could be a better indicator for importance of scientific journals.

Serum pepsinogen I, pepsinogen II, and gastrin 17 in relatives of gastric cancer patients: comparative study with type and severity of gastritis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: First-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients are at risk for developing precancerous conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of biomarkers pepsinogen I (PGI), pepsinogen II (PGII), their ratio (PG I:II), as well as gastrin 17 for screening of precancerous conditions and corpus predominant gastritis. METHODS: First-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients underwent endoscopy. Three biopsy specimens from the antrum and 3 from the corpus were evaluated according to the Sydney classification. Serum was taken for the measurement of fasting PGI, PGII, and gastrin 17 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. RESULTS: A total of 481 patients were examined (age, 47.8 +/- 6.7 y). With the extension of gastritis, PGII was increased up to 2.5 times (6.6 +/- 2.8 microg/mL in normal mucosa, 9.5 +/- 6.7 microg/mL in antral gastritis, and 16.9 +/- 12.4 microg/mL in corpus-predominant gastritis; P < .01), PGI increased slightly (88.3 +/- 29.4 microg/mL in normal mucosa and 111.2 +/- 71.4 microg/mL in corpus-predominant gastritis), and gastrin 17 was increased substantially in corpus-predominant gastritis (15.3 +/- 19.5 pmol/mL vs 3.8 +/- 5.7 pmol/mL in normal mucosa). By using a cut-off value of 7.5 microg/mL for PGII, any type of gastritis from normal mucosa can be diagnosed with a sensitivity and specificity of 80%. The sensitivity and specificity of the PG I:II ratio (< or =3) and gastrin 17 (>17 pmol/mL) together were 9.4% and 99% for screening corpus-predominant gastritis and 14.8% and 97.8%, respectively, for screening intestinal metaplasia in the corpus. CONCLUSIONS: PGII is a suitable marker for screening any gastritis from normal mucosa, but neither PGI, the PG I:II ratio, gastrin 17, nor their combination were able to select those with precancerous conditions and corpus-predominant gastritis among the first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients.

Synthesis and anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of 5-(nitroaryl)-1,3,4-thiadiazoles with certain sulfur containing alkyl side chain.

A series of 5-(nitroaryl)-1,3,4-thiadiazoles bearing certain sulfur containing alkyl side chain similar to pendent residue in tinidazole molecule were synthesized and evaluated against Helicobacter pylori using disk diffusion method. The synthesized compounds were also evaluated for their antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic effects. Study of the structure-activity relationships of this series of compounds indicated that both the structure of the nitroaryl unit and the pendent group on 2-position of 1,3,4-thiadiazole ring dramatically impact the anti-H. pylori activity. While compound 7a containing 2-[2-(ethylsulfonyl)ethylthio]-side chain from nitrothiophene series was the most potent compound tested against clinical isolates of H. pylori, however, nitroimidazoles 6c and 7c were found to be more promising compounds because of their respectable anti-H. pylori activity besides less cytotoxic effects.

Smoking and gut.

Smoking has not only enormous deleterious effects on cardiovascular, cerebral, and bronchial organs but also profoundly alters the function of all parts of the gastrointestinal tract through various mechanisms. Except the sole curiously observed benefit of smoking on the course of ulcerative colitis, it increases the prevalence of the common gastrointestinal diseases namely gastroesophageal acid reflux, peptic ulcer, and Crohn's diseases. It also increases the incidence of cancer of oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, and liver mostly in a dose-response relationship and worsens the prognosis of colon cancer. The cessation of smoking is associated with the reduced incidence of cancer in the reported organs, but its effect on the regression of benign disease is not generally studied. The physicians must be aware not only of the harmful effect of smoking on the cardiovascular and bronchial systems, but also about the detrimental consequences of life-long smoking on the gastrointestinal tract and the increase of its benign and malignant diseases.

Furazolidone-based, metronidazole-based, or a combination regimen for eradication of Helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcer disease.

BACKGROUND: Furazolidone has been effective against Helicobacter pylori in Iran, with no resistance, but with intolerable side effects in the second week. One-week regimens have not been useful here. We compared the efficacy and side effect profiles of three anti-H. pylori regimens. METHODS: Patients with peptic ulcer disease and positive H. pylori infection were randomly allocated into three groups. The patients in group A received omeprazole 20 mg + amoxicillin 1g + metronidazole 500 mg, and bismuth subcitrate 240 mg twice daily each, for two weeks; the patients in group B received the same regimen but metronidazole was replaced by furazolidone 200 mg twice daily; and the patients in group C received regimen B for the first week and regimen A for the second week. H. pylori eradication was verified with 13C-urea breath test at the tenth week. RESULTS: Three hundred and fourteen patients were enrolled; 107, 104, and 103 patients in groups A-C, respectively but 278 patients completed the study. Seven, three, and six patients discontinued their medication in groups A-C, respectively. Fever, dizziness, and weakness were more common in group B than group C (P < 0.05). Vomiting, pruritus, and rash were more common in group C than group A (P < 0.05). Per-protocol eradication rates were 83.1%, 95.2%, and 95.3% in groups A-C, respectively (P = 0.005, groups A and C). Intention to treat eradication rates were 74.5%, 87.0%, and 86.6% in groups A-C, respectively (P = 0.02, groups A and C). CONCLUSION: One-week furazolidone followed by one-week metronidazole regimen is as efficient as two-week furazolidone regimen but with fewer side effects. Furazolidone-based regimens are superior to metronidazole-based ones for H. pylori eradication in Iran.

Progress of Iran in Medical Research.

 The indexed Iranian journals in ISI and PubMed at the end of 2012 with known impact factor (IF) were evaluated with regard to the number of articles published in 2010-2012, the number of citations by authors from inside and outside Iran, their IF as well as their ranking order among all other journals in their specialized categories. There were among 130 English journals, 21 indexed with known IF. The mean IF of these journals increased from 0.4 in 2010 to 0.68 in 2012. The number of citations per article by authors from outside Iran increased from 0.19 to 0.49 during the same time period. The rank of the majority of the indexed journals was in the lowest 20% of their category. Although some improvement has been observed in the quality and the number of citations of Iranian journals indexed in ISI during these two years, the quality of the manuscripts remains low. A reduction in the number of journals, a change of their structure as well as more financial resources for research is necessary for the improvement of the quality and better rank and status of Iranian science among an international audience.

Increased Serum Pepsinogen II Level as a Marker of Pangastritis and Corpus-Predominant Gastritis in Gastric Cancer Prevention.

Serum pepsinogen I and II are considered as indicators of changes in gastric morphology. Important publications from the last decades are reviewed with regard to the serum level of these biomarkers for the diagnosis of normal gastric mucosa, diffuse gastritis and its change to atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia as well as gastric cancer. Due to the low sensitivity of serum biomarkers for diagnosis of gastric cancer, especially at its early stage and the poor prognosis of the tumor at the time of diagnosis, its prevention by eradication of H. pylori remains the mandatory strategy. On the other hand, the severity of regression and non-reversibility of precancerous lesions and intestinal metaplasia in gastric mucosa through eradication of H. pylori make it necessary to diagnose diffuse gastritis at its early stage. Increased serum pepsinogen II compared to normal serum pepsinogen I seems to indicate the presence of diffuse gastritis without precancerous lesions suitable for eradication of H. pylori infection, when it is serologically positive. A diagram illustrates the strategy of this therapeutic measure depending on the age of people and the level of serum biomarkers in areas with high gastric cancer prevalence.

The Effect of Helicobacter pylori Infection, Aging, and Consumption of Proton Pump Inhibitor on Fungal Colonization in the Stomach of Dyspeptic Patients.

BACKGROUND: The importance of coinfection of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) and Candida albicans (C. albicans) in the development of gastric diseases is not known. In this study, the frequency of concurrent infection of H. pylori and C. albicans in dyspeptic patients was assessed while considering age, gender, and PPI consumption of patients. METHODS: Gastric biopsies were taken from 74 yeast-positive dyspeptic patients and gastric disease, age, gender, and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) consumption of subjects were recorded. One antral biopsy was used for rapid urease test (RUT) and one for H. pylori and yeast cultivation and smear preparation. Bacterial isolates were identified according to spiral morphology and the biochemical characteristics. Yeast isolates were identified on Chromagar and by the Nested-PCR amplification of C. albicans-specific topoisomerase II gene. Twenty-seven biopsy smears were Gram-stained and examined by the light microscope for observing H. pylori and yeast cells. RESULTS: Fifty-four (73%) of patients were >40 year. Of 68 patients with PPI consumption record, 46 (67.6%) consumed PPI (p = 0). Comparison of patients in peptic ulcer group (12, 16.2%) with (6, 8.1%) or without (6, 8.1%) H. pylori or in gastritis group (62, 83.8%) with (25, 33.8%) or without (37, 50%) H. pylori showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). Of the 46 patients who consumed PPI, 13 (17.5%) were H. pylori-positive and 33 (44.6%) H. pylori-negative (p = 0). Ten out of twenty-seven smears showed the occurrence of H. pylori cells, including three with yeast cells. Of the 17 H. pylori-negative smears, three showed the occurrence of yeast cells only. Yeasts stained Gram-positive or Gram-negative and appeared as single or budding cells. CONCLUSION: The older age and PPI consumption could favor fungal colonization in the human stomach. The occurrence of a considerable number of H. pylori-positive or H. pylori-negative patients with gastritis or peptic ulcer shows that co-infection of Candida and H. pylori or infection of yeast alone could be associated with dyspeptic diseases. The occurrence of yeast cells in gastric biopsies with different Gram's reactions indicates that fungi might change their cell wall components for establishing a persistent colonization in the stomach.

Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance in Iran.

AIM: To examine the frequency of antibiotic resistance in Iranian Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) strains isolated from two major hospitals in Tehran. METHODS: Examination of antibiotic resistance was performed on 120 strains by modified disc diffusion test and PCR-RFLP methods. In addition, in order to identify the possible causes of the therapeutic failure in Iran, we also determined the resistance of these strains to the most commonly used antibiotics (metronidazole, amoxicillin, and tetracycline) by modified disc diffusion test. RESULTS: According to modified disc diffusion test, 1.6% of the studied strains were resistant to amoxicillin, 16.7% to clarithromycin, 57.5% to metronidazole, and there was no resistance to tetracycline. Of the clarithromycin resistant strains, 73.68% had the A2143G mutation in the 23S rRNA gene, 21.05% A2142C, and 5.26% A2142G. None of the sensitive strains were positive for any of the three point mutations. Of the metronidazole resistant strains, deletion in rdxA gene was studied and detected in only 6 (5%) of the antibiogram-based resistant strains. None of the metronidazole sensitive strains possessed rdxA gene deletion. CONCLUSION: These data show that despite the fact that clarithromycin has not yet been introduced to the Iranian drug market as a generic drug, nearly 20% rate of resistance alerts toward the frequency of macrolide resistance strains, which may be due to the widespread prescription of erythromycin in Iran. rdxA gene inactivation, if present in Iranian H pylori strains, may be due to other genetic defects rather than gene deletion.

Development of gastric cancer and its prevention.

Gastric cancer is a heterogeneous disorder; genetic factors, H. pylori infection and various environmental factors contribute to its development. Advanced atrophic corpus-predominant gastritis provides the histological base for its genesis. Low socio-economic status and poor hygienic conditions, smoking habits, heavy alcohol consumption, high salt and low intake of vegetables and fruits are important external factors for the occurrence of gastric cancer. For its prevention, the eradication of H. pylori infection at an early age is mandatory for subjects at high risk or those living in areas with high prevalence of gastric cancer. Given that an increased serum level of Pepsinogen II is a good biomarker for the presence of gastritis, it seems reasonable to screen all infected subjects at risk of gastric cancer with increased serum pepsinogen II at an early age (at around 30 years) to eradicate H. pylori. An endoscopy should be performed for subjects at an older age (40 years and older), when increased serum pepsinogen II level is associated with decreased serum pepsinogen I and pepsinogen I to II ratio.

Evaluation of an Iranian Home-made Helicobacter pylori Stool Antigen ELISA Kit.

BACKGROUND: Current diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection by biopsy-based tests requires invasive sampling. Non-invasive methods such as the H. pylori stool-antigen (HpSA) test may be the best alternative for diagnosis of active infection. However, due to the presence of antigenic-diversity among the strains, various commercial tests have shown some discrepancies in different geographical-areas. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates a homemade HpSA kit developed by using the H. pylori antigens from Iranian-isolates for detection of H. pylori in the stool of infected patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Based on the endoscopic features and/or a rapid-urease test (RUT), 30 child and 50 adult patients, were recruited. From these candidates, three biopsies for RUT, culture and histology, and a stool-sample, were obtained. Patients were considered as H. pylori-positive if culture alone or RUT plus histology were found to be positive. Presence of H. pylori antigens in their stools was detected by the homemade HpSA test and an imported HpSA kit (Immundiagnostik, Germany). RESULTS: Using the biopsy-based tests with RUT, histology and culture, 53% (16/30) of children were diagnosed as H. pylori-positive while using the imported kit 57% and the homemade kit 50% of the candidates showed positive results. Also by the biopsy-based tests, 54% of the adults were diagnosed as H. pylori-positive while by the homemade kit 56% showed positive results. Considering the biopsy-based tests as the gold standard, sensitivity and specificity for the imported kit was 94% and 86%, respectively, while the mean sensitivity and specificity for the homemade kit was 96% and 98%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The homemade kit, compared with the imported kit and biopsy-proven tests may be a valid and reliable method for determining the presence of H. pylori infection in Iran.

Pepsinogen II can be a potential surrogate marker of morphological changes in corpus before and after H. pylori eradication.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this investigation is to study the relationship between gastric morphology and serum biomarkers before and after Helicobacter pylori eradication. METHODS: First-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients underwent gastroscopy before and 2.5 years after H. pylori eradication. The morphological changes in two categories (normal to mild and moderate to severe) were compared with level of pepsinogens I and II before eradication (n = 369), after eradication (n = 115), and in those with persistent infection (n = 250). RESULTS: After eradication, pepsinogen I decreased to 70% and pepsinogen II to 45% of the previous values. Unlike pepsinogen II and pepsinogen I to II ratio that were affected by the severity of inflammation and atrophy in corpus in all groups, pepsinogen I generally did not change. After eradication, subjects with high mononuclear infiltration in corpus had lower pepsinogen I (54 versus 77.1 µ/mL), higher pepsinogen II (9.4 versus 6.9 µ/mL), and lower ratio (7.9 versus 11.6) than those without (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Pepsinogen II is a good marker of corpus morphological changes before and after H. pylori eradication.

Helicobacter pylori vacA d1/-i1 genotypes and geographic differentiation between high and low incidence areas of gastric cancer in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-specific genotypes have been closely correlated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (GC). The present study aimed to determine the distribution of H. pylori pathogenic genotypes amongst Iranians infected with strains representing European ancestry in areas with different GC incidence.  METHODS: A total of 138 H. pylori isolates from ten districts in Iran were used for genotyping.  RESULTS: The following genotypic frequency was observed: vacA s1 (94.9%), s2 (5.1%), m1 (24.6%), m2 (75.4%), d1 (39.9%), d2 (60.1%), i1 (40.6%), i2 (59.4%), iceA1 (76.8%), iceA2 (52.9%), iceA1/2 (29.7%), babA2 (40.6%), and cagA (65.9%). Hierarchical analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) for the vacA d1, d2, i1, and i2 alleles and iceA1 and iceA1/2 genes found significant levels of genetic differentiation among populations (P < 0.05). Prevalence of the vacA d1, i1, and iceA1/2 (but not iceA1) genes and vacA d1/i1, vacA d1/iceA1, vacA d1/iceA1/2, vacA d1/cagA+, vacA i1/iceA1, vacA i1/iceA1/2, and vacA i1/cagA+ genotypes were significantly higher (>2- or 3-fold) among H. pylori isolates from high incidence GC areas that had age-standardized rates (ASRs) of >20/105 (max. 51.8/105) when compared with those from low incidence (ASRs <10/105) GC areas (P < 0.005, for the latter, P = 0.016). In contrast, the vacA d2/i2, m2/d2, and m2/i2 genotypes were significantly more prevalent in low compared to high incidence GC areas (P < 0.005). The results of Mantel's test only showed a low correlation between genetic and geographic distances for the iceA1 and iceA1/2 (but not vacA alleles, iceA2, babA2, and cagA) genes among ten districts of Iran (r = 0.098 and 0.074, respectively, P < 0.05).  CONCLUSIONS: We propose that the H. pylori vacA d1/-i1 genotypes, which are new determinants of GC, have tremendous potential for differentiating H. pylori strains from high and low incidence GC areas in Iran.

Are the serum biomarkers pepsinogen I and II good predictors for the detection of subjects with atrophic gastritis in areas that have different gastric cancer incidence?

BACKGROUND: Northern Iran (Ardabil) is characterized by a high gastric cancer (GC) rate, whereas Southern Iran (Kerman and Yazd) has a low GC rate. The aim of this study is to verify the potential for pepsinogen I and II to detect atrophic gastritis (AG) in both high and low risk populations for GC. METHODS: Sera of blood donors and patients with GC from Ardebil, Kerman and Yazd were used to measure levels of pepsinogen I, II and H. pylori IgG antibody. GC rates in these cities were determined according to the Cancer Registry and upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy results.  RESULTS: There were 449 subjects with an average age of 45 ± 15 years. The GC rate in the endoscopy units of the hospital in Ardabil was four times higher than Kerman or Yazd. The mean serum pepsinogen I levels did not differ between Ardabil (102 ± 42.6 µg/mL), Kerman (103.3 ± 49.8 µg/mL), and Yazd (111.7 ± 39 µg/mL). Pepsinogen II levels were: 8.1 ± 4.7 µg/mL (Ardabil), 7.5 ± 5.3 µg/mL (Kerman), and 7.6 ± 4.4 µg/mL (Yazd), which were not different. The H. pylori infection rates were: Ardabil (61%), Kerman (55%), and Yazd (73%). A low ratio of pepsinogen I to II (≤3) was seen in Ardabil (1.3%), Kerman (1.9%), and Yazd (0.0%), which was not significant. A total of 51.9% of GC patients from Ardabil had normal pepsinogen I (≥70 µg/mL) levels and pepsinogen I/II ratios that were >5.  CONCLUSION: Serum biomarkers pepsinogen I and II and their ratios are probably not sensitive predictors of AG in areas that have either a high or low GC prevalence. This finding is likely related to the lack of an association between GC and advanced AG.

19-year survival in a patient with rectosigmoid liver metastasis.

We present the case of an 82-year-old man diagnosed with rectosigmoid cancer and liver metastasis who survived for 19 years following treatment. At the age of 64, the patient twice experienced mucus excretion for which he underwent a colonoscopy that resulted in a diagnosis of rectosigmoid cancer the patient underwent surgery for resection of the tumor and liver metastasis.  Histopathology was notable for a diagnosis of rectal adenocarcinoma that infiltrated the entire thickness of the wall, with metastasis to the liver and no lymph node involvement.  Post-operative chemotherapy was administered for about four months. The patient remained asymptomatic for 19 years which at that time he presented with liver metastasis, ascites and renal failure.

Precancerous conditions after H. pylori eradication: a randomized double blind study in first degree relatives of gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Regression of precancerous lesions after H. pylori eradication remains controversial. This study evaluates the change and topography in first degree relatives (FDR) of gastric cancer (GC) patients following H. pylori eradication. METHODS: Participants underwent endoscopy with antrum and corpus histological examinations. Subjects with pangastritis were randomly allocated to placebo or eradication therapy and followed over 4½ years.  RESULTS: Among 989 evaluated FDR, we excluded 468 patients as follows: 108 had macroscopic lesions, 243 had no evidence of any H. pylori infection, and 117 were excluded for other reasons. The remaining subjects (n = 521) were allocated to therapy (group A, n = 261) or placebo (group B, n = 260) groups. Interim analysis of 403 subjects (201 placebo, 202 therapy) showed regression of atrophy (60 out of 97 in the antrum and 37 out of 104 in the corpus) in H.pylori-eradicated versus regression of atrophy (57 out of 184 in the antrum and 23 out of 173 in the corpus) in non-H.pylori-eradicated cases over 2½ years (P < 0.0001). No regression of intestinal metaplasia (IM) occurred in the antrum and corpus of treated subjects over 4½ years. However, progression of IM occurred in the antrum in 17 out of 90 patients in the non-H. pylori-eradicated versus 4 out of 68 H. pylori-eradicated subjects after 4½ years (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Eradication of H. pylori is associated with regression of gastric atrophy but not IM, even in its early stages. Gastric atrophy and IM in the antrum have shown more rapid progression in cases not treated for H. pylori infection (over 4½ years follow-up) compared to H. pylori-eradicated cases.