Distribution of H.pylori antigens in gastric mucosa and its clinical significance

Objective To investigate the distribution of H.pylori antigens in the gastric mucosa in patients with H.pylori infection, and the relationship between the H.pylori distribution and gastric cancer.Methods H.pylori antigens in the gastric mucosa were detected by immunohistochemistry in 84 patients with chronic superficial gastritis, precancerous changes (chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia or atypical hyperplasia) and gastric cancer.Results Among 84 cases H.pylori was detected in 12 cased of chronic superficial gastritis, 22 precancerous lesions and 13 gastric cancers. The positive rates of H.pylori antigens in the cytoplasm of chronic superficial gastritis, precancerous changes and gastric cancer were at 0(0/12), 63.6% (14/22) and 84.6% (11/13) respectively (χ2=19.76, P0.001). H.pylori antigens were located in the mucus layer and above the neck of the gland in 9 of 12 (75.0%) cases with chronic superficial gastritis, at the neck of the gland and the isthmus in 12 of 22 (54.5%) cases with precancerous changes, below the isthmus in 9 of 13 (69.2%) cases with gastric cancer (χ2=25.30,P0.001).Conclusion With the progression of chronic superficial gastritis to precancerous changes and to gastric cancer, H.pylori antigens progressively migrated from the outside to inside of the cell, and from the superficial to the deep gastric mucosa.