Association between serum pepsinogen A and C levels, serum gastrin concentrations and Helicobacter pylori antibodies.
Pepsinogen A and C as well as gastrin were measured in the serum of 117 patients with rheumatic diseases. Moreover, the patients were divided up in groups by aids of a semiquantitative, rapid enzyme immunoassay for detection of Helicobacter pylori: 20 patients without H. pylori antibodies (AB) negative, 18 positive + (= weak AB-titre), 21 positive +2 (medium AB-titre), and 58 positive +3 (high AB-titre). The semiquantitative determinations of H. pylori-AB correlated with pepsinogen A, C and gastrin. Patients with H. pylori-AB positive +3 showed significantly higher values of pepsinogen C (p < or = 0.01) as well as pepsinogen A and gastrin (p < or = 0.05) than H. pylori-AB negative patients. Significantly increased levels of pepsinogen A (> 150 ng/ml) and C (> 25 ng/ml) were found to occur in 39% and 100% of patients with high H. pylori-AB titres. The measurement of serum pepsinogen C concentrations may provide additional diagnostic information of the extent of mucosal lesions in patients with positive H. pylori-AB titres treated with antirheumatic drugs. Our findings suggest that the semi-quantitative classification of positive AB-results can be useful in cases determining H. pylori infection and mucosal irritation if other investigations are not available.
Kullich
W
W
Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institut für Rehabilitation interner Erkrankungen, Saalfelden. lbirehab@salzburg.co.at
Pöllmann
G
G
Czerwenka
C
C
Klein
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000097:blood*; D020115:Pepsinogen C / Q000097:blood*; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D005755:Gastrins; D020115:Pepsinogen C; D020116:Pepsinogen A