title: Relationship of Helicobacter pylori to serum pepsinogens in an asymptomatic Japanese population.
abstract: A seroepidemiologic study of the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Japan was performed, and the relationship between serum pepsinogen I and II levels (markers of gastritis and gastric atrophy) and H. pylori infection was investigated. Four hundred and eighteen asymptomatic children and adults were studied. The prevalence of anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G antibody increased with age. For persons born after 1950, the frequency of H. pylori infection increased at approximately 1% per year; for those born before 1950 the prevalence was high (70%-80%) and relatively constant. Serum pepsinogen I and II levels were significantly higher in H. pylori-infected volunteers than in H. pylori-uninfected volunteers [51.6 +/- 3 vs. 42.9 +/- 2 ng/mL (P less than 0.05) for pepsinogen I; 16.0 +/- 1 vs. 7.5 +/- 0.8 ng/mL (P less than 0.001) for pepsinogen II]. The ratio of pepsinogen I to pepsinogen II was significantly lower in H. pylori-infected volunteers (3.5 +/- 0.2) than in uninfected volunteers (6.3 +/- 0.3; P less than 0.001). The apparent decrease in prevalence of H. pylori accompanying the Westernization of Japan may eventually be accompanied by a reduction in the frequency of atrophic gastritis, the precursor lesion of the epidemic form of gastric carcinoma, and ultimately result in a decrease in the incidence of gastric carcinoma in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001944:Breath Tests; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000175:diagnosis; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D010435:Pepsinogens / Q000097:blood*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D010435:Pepsinogens