title: Ethnic differences in serum pepsinogen levels among Japanese and non-Japanese Brazilian gastric cancer patients and controls.
abstract: A low level of serum pepsinogen I (Pg I) is a risk factor for gastric cancer (GC); low levels of Pg I and the pepsinogen ratio (Pg I:Pg II) are correlated with chronic atrophic gastritis. We report serum Pg levels and compare the degree of association with GC among Japanese and non-Japanese Brazilians. Sera were cross-sectionally ascertained from 93 Japanese Brazilian patients category matched by age and sex with 110 controls, and 228 non-Japanese Brazilian patients individually matched by age and sex with one control. Among non-Japanese Brazilians, GC was associated with a Pg I level <30 ng/ml (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-3.8) and a Pg I:Pg II ratio < 3.0 (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.2-5.3). However, among Japanese Brazilians, the association was present with a level of Pg I < 30 ng/ml (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.9-6.3), and was weak with a Pg I:Pg II ratio < 3.0 (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.73-2.4). Serum Pg I may be preferred to the Pg I:Pg II ratio to study the association between Pg and GC among Japanese Brazilians.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute East, Japan.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Fahey
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Nishimoto
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iriya
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gama-Rodrigues
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsugane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American / Q000235:genetics; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000097:blood*; D020115:Pepsinogen C / Q000097:blood*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000201:enzymology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D020115:Pepsinogen C; D020116:Pepsinogen A