title: [Relationship between pepsinogen I/II ratio and age or upper gastrointestinal diseases in Helicobacter pylori-positive and -negative subjects].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although previous reports suggested that pepsinogen (PG) I/II ratio was the index of gastric atrophy, PG I/II ratio was also related to other factors such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, various gastrointestinal diseases, and aging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum PG I/II ratio and age or upper gastro-intestinal diseases according to H. pylori infection status.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 529 individuals (307 male; mean age, 57.2 years) were divided into 4 groups (94 gastric ulcers, 35 duodenal ulcers, 105 reflux esophagitis, and 295 atrophic gastritis) according to endoscopic diagnosis. H. pylori infection was determined by H. pylori IgG antibody (ELISA) and PG was measured by latex immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  H. pylori infected patients showed markedly increased serum PG II levels (24.0+/-14.7 ng/mL vs. 13.8+/-16.6 ng/mL, p0.001) and low PG I/II ratio (3.9+/-2.0 vs. 6.0+/-2.5, p0.001) than non-infected subjects. In H. pylori infected patients, mean PG I/II ratios in the gastric ulcer and atrophic gastritis group were significantly lower than those of the duodenal ulcer and reflux esophagitis group (p0.001, ANOVA, Turkey's multiples comparison test). The mean ratio of open type atrophic gastritis was lower than that of close type atrophic gastritis (3.0+/-1.4 vs. 3.8+/-1.7, p0.005). PG I/II ratio gradually decreased with age in H. pylori-infected patients with atrophic gastritis (R(2)=0.9, p=0.005, linear regression analysis).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum PG I/II ratio reflects H. pylori infection and gastric atrophy. In the presence of H. pylori infection, gastric atrophy progresses with age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Nyol
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: In-Sik
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kwan Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Jung Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Jae Hyuck
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jung Pil
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Jae Myung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yu Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: In Seok
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myung-Gyu
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000382:microbiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000097:blood*; D020115:Pepsinogen C / Q000097:blood*; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D020115:Pepsinogen C; D020116:Pepsinogen A