Sadegh Afzali - Department of Research and Technology, Kerman branch, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Kerman, Iran
Ali Mandegari-Bamakan - Department of toxicology and pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences
Mojtaba Alimolaei - Department of Research and Technology, Kerman branch, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Kerman, Iran

Introduction and Objectives: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a worldwide infection, is associated with chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, peptic ulcer, gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer resulting from the cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA). This study was evaluated the association between the serum levels of H. Pylori CagA antibody and gastric cancer biomarkers in dyspeptic patients of Kerman, Iran. Materials and Methods: A total of 53 serum samples (38 seropositive and 15 seronegative for H. pylori IgG) from dyspeptic patients of Kerman were tested for anti-CagA IgG by a commercial ELISA kit (Euroimmun, Germany). Serum concentration of CA125, Ca19-9 and CEA cancer biomarkers were measured by a commercial kit (Roche, Germany) with Cobas machine (Cobas-e411). Cancer biomarker serum levels were compared in H. pylori CagA+ and CagA- patients. Results: The prevalence of anti-CagA IgG was 92.45% (49 of 53 patients). The mean titres of anti-CagA IgG antibodies in CagA+ and CagA- patients were respectively 115.78 ± 78.69 and 5.50 ± 6.45 RU/mL that was statistically significant between groups (p = 0.008). The positivity of CA125, Ca19-9 and CEA biomarkers in CagA+ patients were 11.3% (6 person), 5.7% (3 person), and 24.5% (13 person), respectively and other patients shown a normal CA125, CA19-9, and CEA test. The Chi-square test did not show significant relationship between anti-CagA IgG antibodies and cancer biomarkers. Conclusions: According to the results of this study on dyspeptic patients of Kerman, the serum levels of H. Pylori CagA antibody could not used as an appropriate biomarker for early diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Helicobacter pylori, Cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA), Biomarker, Gastric cancer