title: Serum Pepsinogen Levels Are Correlated With Age, Sex and the Level of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Healthy Individuals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To explore the relationship between age, sex, the level of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and serum pepsinogen (PG) in healthy people undergoing a medical examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 6,596 "healthy" individuals undergoing a medical examination were selected as subjects in this study. The concentrations of serum pepsinogen I (PGI) and serum pepsinogen II (PGII) were tested for each of the subjects using time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay characterized with high sensitivity and wide measuring range. The infection ratio and level of HP were tested using a 13C-urea breath test to analyze the relationship between age, sex, HP infection, and serum PGs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PGI, PGII and PGI-to-PGII ratio (x¯±S) were higher in males than in females. The serum PGI and PGII levels gradually increased with age. HP infection rate was 48.83%, and the serum PGI, PGII and PGI-to-PGII ratio (x¯±S) were 187.05 ± 73.50µg/L, 18.09 ± 8.68µg/L and 11.67 ± 5.44, respectively in the HP-positive group and 150.39 ± 67.04µg/L, 11.50 ± 7.45µg/L and 15.67 ± 8.19, respectively in the HP-negative group. There was significant difference in the detection rate of an abnormal PG between the 2 groups as with the worsening of HP infection, 13C-urea breath test and serum PGI and PGII levels increased, but the PGI-to-PGII ratio decreased significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum PGI and PGII levels were correlated with age, sex and the level of HP infection. Therefore, the influencing factors of age, sex and the level of HP infection should be considered when screening stomach diseases using PG.
authors.affiliation: Health Management Center, Jiangsu Province Hospital Group, Taihu Lake Rehabilitation Hospital, Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Health Assessment and Intervention, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Rong-Gen
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Wuxi People׳s Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hua-Long
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Ministry of Health/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Health Management Center, Jiangsu Province Hospital Group, Taihu Lake Rehabilitation Hospital, Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Health Assessment and Intervention, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Ministry of Health/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Health Management Center, Jiangsu Province Hospital Group, Taihu Lake Rehabilitation Hospital, Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Health Assessment and Intervention, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chun-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Ministry of Health/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ye-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: The People׳s Hospital of Aheqi County, Aheqi, Xinjiang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Dao-Zhen
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Ministry of Health/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China. Electronic address: huangbiao@jsinm.org.
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000097:blood*; D020115:Pepsinogen C / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020115:Pepsinogen C; D020116:Pepsinogen A
keywords: 13C-urea breath test values; Helicobacter pylori infection; Medical examination; Pepsinogen