Helicobacter pylori, homologous-recombination genes, and gastric cancer

Helicobacter pylori infection is a well-known risk factor for gastric cancer. However, the contribution of germline pathogenic variants in cancer-predisposing genes and their effect, when combined with H. pylori infection, on the risk of gastric cancer has not been widely evaluated. Analysis of the Biobank Japan and the Hospital-based Epidemiologic Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center found that germline pathogenic variants in nine cancer-predisposing genes were associated with the risk of gastric cancer, and that there was an interaction between H. pylori infection and pathogenic variants in homologous-recombination genes with respect to the risk of gastric cancer. At 85 years of age, persons with H. pylori infections and a pathogenic variant had a higher cumulative risk of gastric cancer than noncarriers infected with H. pylori (45% versus 14%).