Causal role of Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric cancer: An Asian enigma

Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) has been etiologically linked to gastric cancer.H pylori infection is more frequent in less developed Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan,and Thailand and is acquired at early age than in more developed Asian countries like Japan and China. Frequency of gastric cancer, however, is very low in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Thailand compared to that in Japan and China. Similar enigma has been reported from Africa as compared to the West. Seroprevalence of H pylori infection in adult populations of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Thailand varies from 55% to 92%. In contrast, seroprevalence of H pylori in Chinese and Japanese adults is 44% and 55%,respectively. Annual incidence rate of gastric cancer in India, Bangladesh, and Thailand…