Normal serum pepsinogen I levels in adults: a population-based study with special reference to Helicobacter pylori infection and parietal cell antibodies.
OBJECTIVE
Low serum pepsinogen I (PG I) values are common in subjects with advanced corpus atrophy with or without parietal cell antibodies (PCA). Elevated values are usual during Helicobacter pylori infection.


METHODS
PG I levels were determined in two randomly selected cross-sectional adult population samples using the Gastroset PGI test kits. The sera (408 in 1973 and 504 in 1994), tested earlier for H. pylori infection and now for PCA, represented subjects living in Vammala, Finland.


RESULTS
In the PCA-negative population, the mean (+/-SD) PG I level was significantly higher in men than in women among both H. pylori-negative (88.13+/-34.16 microg/l versus 72.43+/-29.31 microg/l; p<0.0001) and H. pylori-positive (110.50+/-50.59 microg/l, versus 97.74+/-44.82 microg/l, p<0.0001) subjects; the difference between all H. pylori-positive and -negative subjects was also significant (p<0.001). In the 10-year age groups, age had no impact on the mean PG I levels in H. pylori-negative subjects (p=0.860). In the PCA-positive population, the 10 H. pylori-positive subjects had higher mean PG I levels (112.96+/-53.62 microg/l) than the 13 H. pylori-negative subjects (32.57+/-27.59 microg/l; p=0.002); the latter mean was also significantly lower than that of the PCA- and H. pylori-negative subjects (80.08+/-32.69 microg/l; p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Men had higher normal PG I values than women, but there was no significant variation by age. H. pylori infection was associated with elevated PG I levels and a small decrease with increasing age. Non-infected PCA-positive subjects showed the lowest mean PG I level.
Hokkanen
S
S
Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital Laboratory Diagnostics, Finland.
Kosunen
T U
TU
Sarna
S
S
Miettinen
A
A
Salomaa
A
A
Aromaa
A
A
Knekt
P
P
Rautelin
H I
HI
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000592:standards; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000097:blood*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000592:standards*; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors
D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D020116:Pepsinogen A