Specifically, CK-18 is an intermediate filament, the cleavage of which is an early event during apoptosis following activation of effector caspases and its immunoreactivity is significantly higher in the foveolar epithelium of H. pylori-positive gastritis compared with both H. pylori-negative gastritis and controls; higher expression of CK-18 in the foveolar epithelium is noticed in patients with CagA positive H. pylori-induced gastritis [176]. Here, KRT18 is linked to gastritis.