Unusual Comparative Frequency of Gastric Carcinoma, Pernicious Anemia, and Peptic Ulcer in Southwestern American Indians

Sievers, Maurice L.

doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(19)32975-0

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 31 publications

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“…Although some of these sites have well-known risk factors (Schottenfeld and Fraumeni, 1982;Correa and Haenszel, 1982;Mandel and Schuman, 19801, we can suggest a mechanism by which the metabolic dysfunction associated with the NWS might affect them as well. The evidence is not strong, but gastric cancer has been associated with obesity, diabetes, and cholelithiasis (Sievers, 1973), and bile acid reflux into the stomach can destroy the gastric mucosa (Matern and Gerok, 1979). In Colombia and Japan, chronic atrophic gastritis due to gastroduodenal reflux has been shown to be a precursor of gastric cancer (e.g., see Correa and Haenszel, 1982).…”

Section: Intraindividual Associations and Gallbladder Cancermentioning

confidence: 99%

A new world syndrome of metabolic diseases with a genetic and evolutionary basis

Weiss¹,

Ferrell²,

Hanis³

1984

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

148

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Currently, many Amerindian peoples, including European-Amerindian admixed groups such as Mexicans, are experiencing a major epidemic of a series of diseases which includes a tendency to become obese a t an early adult age, adult onset diabetes mellitus, the formation of cholesterol gallstones, and gallbladder cancer, especially in females. Other cancer sites, and morbid consequences of these primary disorders, also occur at elevated rates. This epidemic has begun, or at least increased dramatically since World War 11, and seems to be due to an interaction between susceptible Amerindian genotype(s1 and some recently changed aspect of the environment, probably involving dietary components. This paper reviews the epidemiology of this New World Syndrome (NWS), quantifying incidence, prevalence, and risk in susceptible genotypes. This pattern is distinct from the rise of similar diseases associated around the world with "westernization." The susceptible genes probably arose by virtue of a selective advantage during or before the initial peopling of the Americas.In the early part of this century, a pattern of anemias appeared in the Black subpopulation of the United States. This seemed to be racially restricted, but it did not appear in its most serious form in Africans examined in Africa. Hence, although the disease was of highly patterned epidemiology, it was not clear whether it was due to environmental or genetic causation. Subsequent research over a period of many years showed that the disease was genetic, and definitive cytopathology was discovered which was shown to segregate in families in a Mendelian way.Because sickle-cell anemia is so severe, the question was raised as to how, from an evolutionary viewpoint, its causative allele could have attained high frequency. As is now well known, the HbS gene arose from one or a few points of origin, was selected for by the malarial resistance it conferred in the heterozygote, and spread in relation to evolving agricultural practices (Livingstone, 1957). This stands as the classic instance of the interaction between the changing human cultural environment and the evolution of disease-related genes.There is evidence that a culture-gene interaction may be involved in the genesis of a recently arisen series of metabolic disorders affecting peoples native to the Americas, from Alaska to the Andes. This constellation, which we have designated as the "New World Syndrome" (NWS), differs from the sickle-cell situation in several important particulars. It does not appear to be a case of balanced polymorphism. However, in the sense that it suggests a shared role of aboriginal cultures in the Robert E. Ferrel's current address is

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Section: Intraindividual Associations and Gallbladder Cancermentioning

confidence: 99%

A new world syndrome of metabolic diseases with a genetic and evolutionary basis

Weiss¹,

Ferrell²,

Hanis³

1984

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

148

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Gastric cancer in young patients

Ikossi-O’Connor

Douglass

1984

Journal of Surgical Oncology

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A retrospective review of the Roswell Park Memorial Institute experience and literature review of gastric carcinoma in young adults reveals that long-term survival is rarely achieved. The primary correctable cause of failure is a very long delay in diagnosis, a result of both reluctance to initiate diagnostic studies and inaccuracy of routine upper gastrointestinal series. A high index of suspicion and liberal utilization of gastroscopy and gastric cytology combined with an aggressive surgical approach to gastric pathology would probably lead to improved survival for the young gastric carcinoma patients.

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Epidemiology of Gastric Cancer

Haas

Schottenfeld

1978

Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer

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Unusual Comparative Frequency of Gastric Carcinoma, Pernicious Anemia, and Peptic Ulcer in Southwestern American Indians

Cited by 5 publications

References 31 publications

A new world syndrome of metabolic diseases with a genetic and evolutionary basis

A new world syndrome of metabolic diseases with a genetic and evolutionary basis

Gastric cancer in young patients

Epidemiology of Gastric Cancer

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