Influence of age and Helicobacter pylori infection on serum pepsinogens in healthy blood transfusion donors.
In a healthy population pepsinogen A and pepsinogen C increase with advancing age. As pepsinogen A and C are raised in chronic superficial gastritis which is caused by H pylori infection, we investigated whether H pylori is responsible for the age related increase of pepsinogen A and C. In H pylori positive blood transfusion donors serum pepsinogen A (mean (SD) 73 (35) micrograms/ml v 52 (19) micrograms/ml, p much less than 0.01) and C (mean (SD) 24 (13) micrograms/ml v 10 (7) micrograms/ml, p much less than 0.01) concentrations were significantly higher than in H pylori negative blood transfusion donors, while the serum pepsinogen A:C ratio mean (SD) 3.5 (1.4) v 6.2 (3.4), p much less than 0.01) was significantly decreased because of a relative greater increase in serum pepsinogen C in H pylori positive blood transfusion donors. Analysis of variance showed that pepsinogen A and C concentrations differed significantly in the different age groups (p much less than 0.01) when we considered all blood transfusion donors and H pylori positive blood transfusion donors, the mean pepsinogen levels being highest in the older age categories. In H pylori negative blood transfusion donors no such age related difference in pepsinogen A and C could be shown. In H pylori positive blood transfusion donors a weak positive but significant correlation between pepsinogen A and C and age could be shown (r = 0.30; p = 0.01 and r = 0.31; p = 0.01 respectively). In H pylori negative blood transfusion donors no correlation between serum pepsinogens and age was found. We conclude that the age related increase in serum pepsinogen A and C described in healthy control populations is caused by an increasing prevalence of H pylori infection. Serum pepsinogen A and C concentrations in patients should therefore be related to the presence or absence of H pylori infection.
Veenendaal
R A
RA
Department of Gastroenterology, Leiden University Hospital, The Netherlands.
Biemond
I
I
Peña
A S
AS
van Duijn
W
W
Kreuning
J
J
Lamers
C B
CB
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010435:Pepsinogens / Q000097:blood*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010435:Pepsinogens