RESUMO
Urinary excretion levels of nitrate and N-nitrosoproline were determined in 160 individuals in a Colombian population at high risk for gastric cancer. In 156 of these subjects urinary levels of 3-methyladenine and 7-methylguanine were determined. Gastric biopsy specimens were obtained from 118 individuals and were histologically characterized according to pathological criteria into the following groups: normal, superficial gastritis, chronic atrophic gastritis, chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia, and dysplastic. The histological changes were correlated with the four variables listed above. There were no significant differences in the excretion of nitrate, N-nitrosoproline, 3-methyladenine, or 7-methylguanine in subjects with different pathological changes. A statistically significant correlation was present between nitrate and N-nitrosoproline excretion in the total population group (r = 0.297, P = 0.0001). A highly significant correlation (r = 0.56, P = 0.0002) was noted for urinary nitrate and N-nitrosoproline excretion in individuals with intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia. An increase in the urinary excretion of 3-methyladenine and 7-methylguanine was associated with tobacco smoking in the total population group.