[Inflammatory response associated with Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric mucosa with intestinal metaplasia in a population in high risk for gastric cancer].

Intestinal Metaplasia (IM) and Helicobacter Pylori (HP) infection had been related to gastric carcinogenesis. With the intention to know the relationship among HP infection, IM and inflammatory response of the mucosa in an area of high prevalence of gastric cancer, we studied 800 persons that attended the Gastric Cancer Mass Survey, ongoing in the State Tachira, Venezuela, since 1981. Out of these subjects, 259 had histology diagnosis of IM (32.4%) 52.1% were IM type Y, 19.3% type II and 22.8% type III (sulfomucin secretory). Histology demonstrated with Giemsa stain HP in 94.6% of the cases. Association between HP and inflammation response in gastric mucosa with IM, was statistically significant (p = 0.001). The are heavier bacteria overload in IM type I than in type III although it is not statistically significant. We ponder if gastric mucosa inflammation due to HP, conditions development of IM as a hostile way of the gastric environment to restrain bacterial growth. This phenomenon ally with other oncogeneous factors could induce to premalignant lesions and eventually gastric cancer.