Glycogen content in the gastric mucosa of partially resected stomach; a possible relationship with the development of cancer

Since gastric carcinoma, unlike uninvaded mucosa, has a relatively high glycogen content and the risk of gastric carcinoma is especially high in patients with a partially resected stomach, the aim of this study was to follow glycogen storage in both uninvaded gastric stump mucosa and carcinoma developing in the stump postsurgery performed for benign and malignant conditions. One hundred patients were recruited, including controls with non-operated stomachs (duodenal ulcer or gastric cancer patients). In endoscopically taken biopsies glycogen was determined by the anthrone method. It was found that the glycogen content in the gastric remnants was higher than in non-operated stomachs and increased with the time after surgery. It is possible that the risk of gastric cancer, which increases with the time from surgery, may be related to glycogen storage.