[12] A strong correlation between H. pylori infection and gastric cancer has been experimentally confirmed in animal models.[13, 14] We have previously reported that in the patients in whom H. pylori was eradicated, there was normalization in the numbers of both infiltrating check details neutrophils and mononuclear cells.[15] Fukase et al.

conducted the multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial, and concluded that treatment to eradicate H. pylori may reduce the risk of developing new gastric carcinoma in patients who have a history of such disease and are thus at high risk for developing further gastric cancers.[5] They did not evaluate histological changes, however, so we assume that histological improvement of possible precancerous lesions would have inhibited the development

of metachronous gastric cancer. Our data did not directly show suppression of metachronous gastric cancer in the gastric remnant by H. pylori eradication; however, significant histological improvement in the scores of chronic inflammation and atrophy indicates H. pylori eradication may suppress the development of new gastric carcinoma in patients with a gastric remnant. In our study, all the patients underwent Billroth I reconstruction. Biliopancreatic reflux is regarded as the main cause of an inhospitable environment for H. pylori after gastric resection.[16, 17] Billroth Selleckchem PLX-4720 II gastric resection favors biliopancreatic reflux, which creates different mucosal conditions to the Billroth I gastric resection. However, we assume Billroth I gastric resection still promotes biliopancreatic reflux, and this might be the reason why chronic inflammation scores improved more slowly than atrophy scores after eradication. All in all, our data showing H. pylori eradication improving possible precancerous lesions of the gastric remnant can be applied only to the gastric remnant after Billroth I reconstruction. Several

limitations of this study warrant mention. First, we did not directly show suppression of metachronous gastric cancer by MYO10 H. pylori eradication. Second, this study does not have controls with a gastric remnant that did not undergo H. pylori eradication therapy. To have controls was difficult because we assumed H. pylori eradication therapy would suppress metachronous gastric cancer and recommended patients for H. pylori eradication therapy. Third, we did not examine any patient with a gastric remnant after Billroth II reconstruction. By comparing the data for Billroth and Billroth II reconstructions, we would be able to determine the important role of H. pylori eradication on prevention of metachronous gastric cancer development in the gastric remnant. In conclusion, prophylactic H. pylori eradication in the gastric remnant may be useful in preventing the development of metachronous gastric carcinoma. Further study remains to be done to clearly demonstrate the effect of H.