Serum pepsinogen levels in the Japanese population: prospective study of 9 years of follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
Natural alterations of serum pepsinogen (PG) levels are still unclear. We investigated the natural course of pepsinogen levels by prospective study over a period of 9 years.


METHODS
Out of 18,676 participants of a cancer screening program, 262 individuals (79 males, mean age 58.6 years) were enrolled. Sera were obtained from all participants in 1989 and again in 1998 to screen for gastric cancer. PG concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Subjects with a PGI concentration of > 50 or a PGI/II ratio of > 3 were considered PG-negative.


RESULTS
Initially, 207 and 55 subjects were considered to be PG-negative and positive, respectively. Of the 207 PG-negative subjects, 25 (12.1%) had seroconverted to a PG-positive status. All of the 41 subjects with a PGI/II ratio > 6.5, in whom H. pylori should be negative, remained PG-negative. Seroconversion to a PG-positive status was more frequently found in subjects with PGII > 15ng/mL, in whom active gastritis is more likely to be present. Of the 55 with PG-positive subjects, as assessed in 1989, 18 (32.7%) had seroconversion to a PG-negative status.


CONCLUSIONS
PG-seroconversion occurred in 16% of people over a 9-year period. Seroconversion to a PG-positive status may be induced by active gastritis.
Xie
Xue Fei
XF
Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Ito
Masanori
M
Yoshihara
Masaharu
M
Haruma
Ken
K
Tanaka
Shinji
S
Chayama
Kazuaki
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005756:Gastritis / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D020116:Pepsinogen A