Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and atrophic gastritis, and serum selenium concentration

Abstract

    Helicobacter pylori infected gastric mucosa causes chronic inflammation which induces atrophic gastritis (AG), and causes gastric cancer. It is suggested that selenium (Se) has preventive effects on gastric cancer incidence. However, the association between H. pylori infection/AG and the serum Se level has not yet been clarified. In this research, we investigated this association in a general population.
    The subjects were 728 people (252 men and 476 women) who participated in the health check-up during the Iwaki Health Promotion Project. The levels of IgG antibody for H. pylori in serum, H. pylori antigen in stools, serum pepsinogen I, serum pepsinogen II and serum Se concentration were measured.
    Serum Se level was decreased by both H. pylori infection and AG, and it negatively correlated with serum pepsinogen I level. Thus, this study suggests that AG with gastric cancer decreases serum pepsinogen I secretion, and leads to decreased absorption of Se.