[Characteristics of antitumor immunity in different forms of chronic gastritis].

Patients with stomach cancer, primary chronic gastritis (with intestine-type metaplasia of mucosa), old-age gastritis, post-resection gastritis, B12-deficiency-induced gastritis, stomach ulcer and chronic non-specific diseases of the lungs revealed a high sensitization to stomach cancer antigens matched by a low one to antigens of unaltered mucosa of the stomach. Patients with malignancies at sites other than the stomach, morphological patterns of gastritis as well as cases of primary chronic gastritis unaccompanied by intestinal metaplasia showed a reverse correlation: a high activity of T-lymphocytes with respect to unaltered gastric mucosa antigens and a low one--to stomach cancer antigens. An immunologic test using stomach and tumor antigens for screening of those at high risk for stomach cancer is suggested.