title: Serum pepsinogen I and the state of gastric mucosa in an Estonian population sample.
abstract: Seventy-seven adult subjects from a rural population were examined by gastroscopic biopsy and serum pepsinogen I (PG I) determination. A new radioimmunoassay method for PG I determination, based on enzymatic iodination and the double antibody solid-phase technique, was used. A highly significant correlation (r = 0.488, p less than 0.001) between the state of the fundal mucosa and the PG I level was observed. In persons with severe or moderate forms of atrophic fundal gastritis the PG I values were notably lower than those of the other groups. Good differentiation of persons with normal fundal mucosa and with severe fundal gastritis was obtained. In subjects with a normal fundal mucosa the PG I values were significantly higher in men (130 +/- 48 micrograms/l) than in women (87 +/- 17 micrograms/l). A decline in serum PG I level with age was observed. In patchy gastritis the PG I value is helpful in assessing the state of the fundal mucosa.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004957:Estonia; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000097:blood*; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020116:Pepsinogen A; D010435:Pepsinogens / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012424:Rural Population
chemical_list: D010435:Pepsinogens; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C037980:pepsinogen (1-12); D020116:Pepsinogen A