Aim: To investigate the factors influencing the occurrence of gastric varioliform lesions (GVLs) and their possible link with gastric cancer.
Methods: A 1:1 matched case-control study was performed to retrospectively analyze data from 1638 chronic gastritis patients who had undergone gastroscopy at one of two Chinese hospitals between 2009 and 2014. Patients with GVLs (cases) were compared to those without such lesions (controls). Endoscopic and pathological findings were recorded, along with interview information on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, medical, drug and family histories, lifestyle and eating habits. The association between each factor and the occurrence of GVLs was estimated, and then multivariate conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate the independent factors.
Results: The frequency and severity of glandular atrophy, intestinal metaplasia (IM) and low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia were significantly increased in the GVL group (P < 0.01). Overall analysis showed that H. pylori infection [3.051 (2.157, 4.317), P <0.001], allergic respiratory diseases [3.636 (2.183, 6.055), P < 0.001], work-related stress [2.019 (1.568, 2.600), P < 0.001], irregular meals [2.300 (1.462, 3.619), P < 0.001], high intake of spicy food [1.754 (1.227, 2.507), P = 0.002] and high intake of fresh fruit [0.231 (0.101, 0.529), P = 0.001] were significantly correlated with the occurrence of GVLs (positively, except for the latter). Stratified analyses indicated that pickled food consumption in patients over 50 years old [7.224 (2.360, 22.115), P = 0.001] and excessive smoking in men [2.013 (1.282, 3.163), P = 0.002] were also positively correlated, and that, for antral GVLs, vegetable consumption [0.491 (0.311, 0.776), P = 0.002] was negatively correlated.
Conclusion: Seven risk factors and two protective factors are determined for GVLs, which were found to be associated with premalignant abnormalities.
Keywords: Gastric cancer; Gastric varioliform lesions; Precancerous lesion; Risk factor; Varioliform gastritis.