The development of atrophic gastritis in antrum and body in relatives of gastric carcinoma patients and in controls.

The development of atrophic gastritis (AG) in antrum and body was studied in a series consisting of 301 first-degree relatives of 73 gastric carcinoma patients, and in 431 controls, that is, 73 control probands and their 358 first-degree relatives. An analysis was performed in terms of four population pools: subjects with normal mucosa and/or superficial gastritis in antrum and body; AG occurring in the antrum only; AG in the body only; AG present in antrum and body. Antral AG commenced in the patients' teens and progressed at a constant rate up to 55 years, being retarded thereafter with decreasing age-specific prevalence of AG limited to the antral mucosa. The process started later in the body, but its constant-rate progression continued up to old age. In the pool of those subjects who had both antral and body AG the development approximated that seen in the pool with body AG only. The process was qualitatively similar in the Series and in the Controls, but marked differences were observed after the age of 55 years in the transition to the different AG pools.