Antibody Responses to Antigens from Helicobacter pylori and Streptococcus gallolyticus Subspecies gallolyticus and Colorectal Cancer–Specific and Overall Survival in the EPIC Cohort
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies gallolyticus (SGG) have been implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis, but whether host immune responses to these bacteria influence colorectal cancer (CRC) survival remains unclear. We investigated whether pre-diagnostic antibody responses to H. pylori and SGG antigens were associated with overall and CRC-specific mortality within a prospective cohort study. We included 471 incident CRC cases from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. Pre-diagnostic antibody responses to 13 H. pylori and 11 SGG antigens were measured using multiplex serology. Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for key confounders. Overall H. pylori seropositivity was defined as ≥4 positive antigens, while SGG seropositivity was defined using a 6-marker panel (≥2 positive markers). Over a median follow-up of 9.2 years, 254 all-cause and 188 CRC-specific deaths were observed. Overall seropositivity to H. pylori and SGG, including the SGG 6-marker panel, was not associated with CRC-specific or overall mortality. However, seropositivity to H. pylori catalase was associated with reduced CRC-specific mortality (HR=0.71, 95% CI: 0.49–1.01). Pre-diagnostic antibody responses to specific H. pylori antigens, particularly catalase, may be associated with improved CRC survival, while overall seropositivity to H. pylori and SGG showed no consistent associations.
Source: Preprints.org
Authors: Harsha Ganesan, Julia Butt, Tim Waterboer, Veronika Fedirko, Gianluca Severi, Renée Turzanski Fortner, Verena Katzke, Calogero Saieva, Sabina Sieri, Simona Signoriello, Rosario Tumino, Fulvio Ricceri, Marta Farràs, Luis Bujanda, Daniel Palacios Rodriguez, Pietro Ferrari, Laia Peruchet-Noray, Alicia Heath, Mazda Jenab, David J. Hughes
Language: English
Subfield: Gastroenterology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204786477