Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of serum bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) combined with gastrin-17 (G-17) in Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-positive early gastric cancer.

Methods A total of 88 patients with Hp-positive early gastric cancer admitted to our hospital from September 2021 to September 2023 were selected as early gastric cancer group. Meanwhile, 92 patients with Hp-positive precancerous lesions and 80 patients with Hp-positive gastritis admitted during the same period were selected as precancerous lesion group and gastritis group, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the serum levels of BRD4 and G-17. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to screen the influencing factors of Hp-positive early gastric cancer. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum BRD4 and G-17 in Hp-positive early gastric cancer.

Results Compared with the gastritis group, the levels of BRD4 and G-17 in the precancerous lesion group and early gastric cancer group were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Furthermore, compared with the precancerous lesion group, the levels of BRD4 and G-17 in the early gastric cancer group were also significantly elevated (P < 0.05). The proportion of patients with a family history of gastric cancer, those who preferred hot food, cold food, or high-salt food, as well as the levels of PGⅡ, BRD4, and G-17 were significantly higher in the early gastric cancer group than in the non-gastric cancer group, while the level of pepsinogen (PG)Ⅰ was significantly lower (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that preference for hot food, high-salt food, PGⅡ, BRD4, G-17, and PGⅠ were all influencing factors for Hp-positive early gastric cancer (P < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) values for serum BRD4, G-17, and their combination in diagnosing Hp-positive early gastric cancer were 0.793, 0.830, and 0.912, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy of the combined detection was superior to that of single detection (P < 0.05).

Conclusion The serum levels of BRD4 and G-17 are elevated in patients with Hp-positive early gastric cancer, and both exhibit certain diagnostic value for Hp-positive early gastric cancer, suggesting their potential as serum biomarkers for the diagnosis of Hp-positive early gastric cancer.