title: The rise in circulating gastrin with age is due to increases in gastric autoimmunity and Helicobacter pylori infection.
abstract: To assess the effect of increasing age on circulating gastrin, we surveyed serum gastrin, Helicobactor pylori seroantibody status and gastric autoimmunity in 366 hospitalized patients aged 15-90 years. Data were subjected to multivariate analysis, using logarithmic transformation to normalize the distribution of gastrin concentrations (presented as geometric means and 95% CIs). The frequency of H. pylori-positive antibody status increased with age from 28% in the second decade to > 70% beyond the fourth decade. Fasting gastrin concentrations rose significantly from 44 ng/l (41-48) in the second decade to 95 ng/l (67-131) by the eighth decade (p = 0.001) in the total group. Twenty-seven patients (6.8% of the total) tested positive for gastric auto-antibodies: 2% of patients in the second decade, rising to 15.9% in the eighth decade. These patients formed a distinct group with respect to circulating gastrin concentrations. Excluding these 27, fasting gastrin concentrations still rose significantly, from 44 ng/l (41-48) in the second decade, to 67 ng/l (50-89) in the eighth decade (p = 0.003) in the remaining 341 patients. Fasting gastrin concentrations were significantly higher in patients who were H. pylori-seropositive (59 ng/l, 54-64 vs. sero-negative 41 ng/l, 37-46) (p = 0.002), and there was no increase in circulating gastrin concentrations with increasing age in either the H. pylori-positive or the H. pylori-negative group. The increase in circulating fasting gastrin observed with increasing age is due to an increased incidence of gastric antibodies associated with auto-immune atrophic gastritis, and an increased incidence of H. pylori infection.
authors.affiliation: Altnagelvin Hospital, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Jassel
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ardill
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fillmore
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Bamford
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Buchanan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000752:Anemia, Pernicious / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007437:Intrinsic Factor / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001323:Autoantibodies; D005755:Gastrins; D007437:Intrinsic Factor