PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - G Biasco AU - G M Paganelli AU - D Vaira AU - J Holton AU - G Di Febo AU - S Brillanti AU - M Miglioli AU - L Barbara AU - I M Samloff TI - Serum pepsinogen I and II concentrations and IgG antibody to Helicobacter pylori in dyspeptic patients. AID - 10.1136/jcp.46.9.826 DP - 1993 Sep 01 TA - Journal of Clinical Pathology PG - 826--828 VI - 46 IP - 9 4099 - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/46/9/826.short 4100 - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/46/9/826.full SO - J Clin Pathol1993 Sep 01; 46 AB - AIMS--To investigate the association between histologically confirmed gastritis, carriage of Helicobacter pylori and pepsinogen (PG) I and PG II concentrations. METHODS--Prospective study of 81 dyspeptic patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was made. The extent of gastric mucosal inflammation and the presence of H pylori was determined, and serology to evaluate PG I and II concentrations and IgG titres to H pylori was carried out. RESULTS--The presence of H pylori was strongly correlated with high IgG antibody titres to H pylori and gastritis. Patients who were H pylori positive had significantly higher PG I and PG II concentrations and a significantly lower PG I:PG II ratio than patients who were negative for H pylori. In 13 patients with duodenal ulcer and H pylori positive gastritis serum PG I concentrations were significantly higher than in H pylori positive patients without duodenal ulcer. Significant correlations were found between the age of patients and serum PG II, the PG I:PG II ratio, IgG antibodies to H pylori, the severity of body gastritis and H pylori infection, and between the degree of gastritis in the body of the stomach and the PG II concentration. CONCLUSIONS--Serum PG I and II concentrations, together with a fall in the PG I:PG II ratio, could be used as predictors of H pylori infection as well as serum IgG antibody response to H pylori.