ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has recently been reported that non-amidated gastrin is associated with the development of colon cancer. However it is not known whether amidated gastrin, atrophic gastritis, and the status of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection are related to colon cancer. The aims of this study were to determine whether plasma level of amidated gastrin is elevated in patients with colon cancer compared with controls and to determine whether H. pylori infection and/or atrophic gastritis affect the relationship between amidated gastrin and colon cancer. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with colon cancer and twenty-two controls were enrolled in this study and their plasma amidated gastrin titers were measured by 125I radioimmunoassay. H. pylori infection was determined by histology. The degree of mucosal atrophy was determined by Sidney classification. RESULTS: Amidated gastrin levels were not different between the patients with colon cancer and controls. The status of H. pylori infection did correlate with amidated gastrin levels. Antral mucosal atrophy was not also correlated with amidated gastrin levels, but there was a tendency (p=0.074). CONCLUSIONS: Amidated gastrin is not related to the development of colon cancer.