The telomere length of gastric mucosal samples and peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients who have undergone Billroth II distal gastrectomy.

Introduction: Telomeres play an important role in maintaining chromosomal integrity. Functional loss of telomeres increases the risk of cancer by causing genomic instability. Telomere length abnormalities have been reported in several precancerous lesions.

Helicobacter pylori eradication increases telomere length in gastric mucosa.

Background/aims: Our purpose in this study was to analyze telomere length and telomerase activity before and after eradication treatment in gastric mucosa in patients positive for H. pylori.

Methodology: There were two groups: a control group (n=17) and a study group (n=21).