This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Weck, M. N. Articles by Brenner, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Weck, M. N. Articles by Brenner, H. Related Collections Epidemiology and Prevention Epidemiology and Prevention: Genetics and Biomarkers

Prevalence of Chronic Atrophic Gastritis in Different Parts of the World

Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany

Requests for reprints: Hermann Brenner, Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center, Bergheimer Straße 20, D-69115 Heidelberg, Germany. Phone: 49-6221-548140; Fax: 49-6221-548142. E-mail: h.brenner{at}dkfz-heidelberg.de

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a well-established precursor of intestinal gastric cancer, but epidemiologic data about its occurrence are sparse. We provide an overview on studies that examined the prevalence of CAG in different parts of the world. Articles containing data about the prevalence of chronic atrophic gastritis in unselected population samples and published until November 2005 were identified by searching the MEDLINE database. Furthermore, the references in the identified publications were screened for additional suitable studies. Studies comprising at least 50 subjects were included. Forty-one studies providing data on the prevalence of CAG in unselected population samples could be identified. CAG was determined by gastroscopy in 15 studies and by pepsinogen serum levels in 26 studies. Although results are difficult to compare due to the various definitions of CAG used, a strong increase with age, the lack of major gender differences, and strong variations between populations and population groups (in particular, relatively high rates in certain Asian populations) could be observed quite consistently. We conclude that CAG is relatively common among older adults in different parts of the world, but large variations exist. Large-scale international comparative studies with standardized methodology to determine CAG are needed to provide a coherent picture of the epidemiology of CAG in various populations. Noninvasive measurements of CAG by pepsinogen levels may be particularly suited for that purpose. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(6):1083–94)

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L A Anderson, S J Murphy, B T Johnston, R G P Watson, H R Ferguson, K B Bamford, A Ghazy, P McCarron, J McGuigan, J V Reynolds, et al. Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric atrophy and the stages of the oesophageal inflammation, metaplasia, adenocarcinoma sequence: results from the FINBAR case-control study Gut, June 1, 2008; 57(6): 734 - 739. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A C de Vries, G A Meijer, C W N Looman, M K Casparie, B E Hansen, N C T van Grieken, and E J Kuipers Epidemiological trends of pre-malignant gastric lesions: a long-term nationwide study in the Netherlands Gut, December 1, 2007; 56(12): 1665 - 1670. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. E. Vollset, J. Igland, M. Jenab, A. Fredriksen, K. Meyer, S. Eussen, H. K. Gjessing, P. M. Ueland, G. Pera, N. Sala, et al. The Association of Gastric Cancer Risk with Plasma Folate, Cobalamin, and Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Polymorphisms in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2007; 16(11): 2416 - 2424. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]