Association of Helicobacter pylori and gastric atrophy with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction in Taixing, China

Abstract Gastric atrophy caused by Helicobacter pylori infection was suggested to influence the risk of adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEGJ), however, the evidence remains limited. We aimed to examine the associations of H. pylori infection and gastric atrophy (defined using serum pepsinogen [PG] I to PGII ratio) with AEGJ risk, based on a population‐based case‐control study in Taixing, China (2010‐2014), with 349 histopathologically confirmed AEGJ cases and 1859 controls. We explored the potential effect modification by H. pylori serostatus and sex on the association of serum PGs with AEGJ risk. We used unconditional logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). H. pylori seropositivity was associated with an elevated AEGJ risk (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.47‐2.63). Neither CagA‐positive nor VacA‐positive strains dramatically changed this association. Gastric atrophy (PGI/PGII ratio ≤4) was positively associated with AEGJ risk (OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.72‐3.22). The fully adjusted ORs for AEGJ progressively increased with the increasing levels of PGII ( P ‐trend <.001). H. pylori showed nonsignificant effect modification ( P ‐interaction = .385) on the association of gastric atrophy with AEGJ. In conclusion, H. pylori and gastric atrophy were positively associated with AEGJ risk. These results may contribute evidence to the ongoing research on gastric atrophy‐related cancers and guide the prevention and control of AEGJ.