Strofilas et al J Clin Med Res • 2012;4(3):172-176 Figure 1. Serum gastrin levels in relation to colon cancer stage. There are no statistical differences between groups. Methods The study population of this prospective case-control study included colorectal cancer patients admitted for surgical treatment in a university hospital’s surgical department and a demographically matched patient population who were scheduled for hernia repair as a control group. Fasting serum samples were obtained from all patients, in order to assay anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G, CagA protein expression and serum gastrin levels. An enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) IgG serologic test for H pylori diagnosis (HEL-P test, Park Co, Athens, Greece) was used for the detection of H. pylori positive patients in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. A positive, result was assigned when the concentration of IgG antibod- ies against H pylori was greater than 25 U/mL. The positive serums were further examined by western-blot IgG assay for the cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) protein. Gastrin in serum was assayed by a competitive radioimmunoassay us- ing a rabbit antiserum raised against a gastrin 17 albumin conjugate (Gastrin RIA, DIAsource ImmunoAssays S.A, Belgium). The antiserum used in this assay cross reacts with gastrin-34 and the sulphated forms of gastrin-17 and gas- trin-34. Normal were considered when values < 100 pg/mL. In all cancer patients colorectal malignancy was iden- tified by colonoscopy and histopathological examination of the biopsy specimens which were obtained during endos- copy. Exclusion criteria were set in order to achieve the min- imal effect of external factors regarding the fluctuation of the parameters measured. Patients who were receiving gas- tric antisecretory medication (proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were excluded from the study. Moreover, exclusion criteria met the positive history of gastroduodenal surgical operations, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and alcohol addiction, so as to minimize the impact of the factors above as false positive causes of hypergastrinemia. Results The colorectal cancer patient group comprised from 93 pa- tients with mean age of 69.1 ± 10.1 years, while the mean age of the control group was 64.2 ± 14.8 years, the difference being non-significant. Positivity of anti- H. pylori IgG antibodies was reported in 66/93 (71%) in the colorectal cancer group, while in the control group presence of the antibodies was detected in 13/20 patients (65%), the difference having non-statistical significance (P = n.s.). The prevalence of cagA protein expression in the anti- H. pylori IgG+ patients were higher in the colorectal cancer group (56% positivity), when compared to the control group (38,4% positivity). However, the difference was not of statis- tical significance (P = n.s). The mean levels of serum gastrin levels in the two groups did not significantly differ (Ca group 51.1 ± 36.6 pg/ mL vs Control 49.8 ± 17.6, P = n.s.). Furthermore, the mean gastrin levels were not significantly higher in patients with colorectal cancer and H. pylori infection (mean value: 51 pg/mL), compared with the negative for infection colorectal Articles © The authors | Journal compilation © J Clin Med Res and Elmer Press™ | www.jocmr.org 173