Review Article

Helicobacter pylori Antibody Titer and Gastric Cancer Screening

Figure 3

Time course of changes of the H. pylori antibody titer in H. pylori-infected subjects with severe progression of mucosal atrophy (Grade D in the ABC method). Subjects in Group D show significant “advanced” progression of atrophy; members of this group become seronegative for H. pylori antibody titer following the spontaneous disappearance of H. pylori from gastric mucosa. This subset of patients would be classified originally as Group B and then as Group C as atrophy progresses and finally as Group D when the antibody titer falls below the cut-off value (converting to antibody-negative status, as indicated by the arrow). Approximately 1% of all subjects in Japan will be classified as Group D, suggesting that only a limited number of cases show “advanced” progression of atrophy.