title: Genetic heterogeneity of hyperpepsinogenemic I and normopepsinogenemic I duodenal ulcer disease.
abstract: In a search for a genetic marker of duodenal ulcer, we measured serum pepsinogen I levels in 168 ulcer patients and 151 of their clinically normal siblings. The ulcer patients tended to have either hyperpepsinogenemia I (pepsinogen I, greater than or equal to 100 ng/mL) or a normal level on a familial basis. Further evidence supporting this separation was the finding that the mean serum pepsinogen I level in the clinically normal siblings of the hyperpepsinogenemic patients was 91.2 ng/mL, significantly higher than the mean level (63.1 ng/mL) in the normal siblings of the normopepsinogenemic I patients. In the hyperpepsinogenemic I families the results of segregation analysis of an elevated pepsinogen I were consistent with autosomal-dominant inheritance of this trait. The genetic basis of normopepsinogenemic I duodenal ulcer was also shown by the familial aggregation of this disorder. These data provide direct evidence for genetic heterogeneity of duodenal ulcer disease.
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000032:analysis; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D010435:Pepsinogens / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D010435:Pepsinogens