Beschreibung:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec>
<jats:title>Purpose</jats:title>
<jats:p><jats:italic>Helicobacter pylori</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic>) is the leading cause of gastric cancer. High antibody levels to <jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic> virulence factors Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) and Cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) have been suggested as gastric cancer risk markers. In the USA, <jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic> sero-prevalence is twofold higher in African Americans compared to whites. We sought to assess whether African Americans also exhibit higher antibody levels to VacA and CagA.</jats:p>
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<jats:title>Methods</jats:title>
<jats:p>Antibody responses to <jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic> proteins were measured by multiplex serology in 686 African Americans and whites of the Southern Community Cohort Study. Among VacA- and CagA-seropositives, we analyzed the association of race with antibody level using logistic regression models to produce odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).</jats:p>
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<jats:title>Results</jats:title>
<jats:p>Sero-positive African Americans had significantly higher mean antibody levels to both VacA and CagA, which resulted in increased odds for the highest quartile of antibody levels compared to sero-positive whites (VacA, OR: 6.08; 95% CI 3.41, 10.86; CagA, OR: 3.77; 95% CI 1.61, 8.84).</jats:p>
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<jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title>
<jats:p>Our findings support future studies to assess the association of differential antibody responses by race with risk of gastric cancer in the USA, which could then aid in developing targeted <jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic> eradication strategies.</jats:p>
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