Serum Pepsinogen Levels Are Correlated With Age, Sex and the Level of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Healthy Individuals.

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.

Simultaneous detection of different serum pepsinogens and its primary application.

AIM: To develop the simple, rapid and sensitive dual-label time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay for pepsinogens in human serum. METHODS: Based on two-site sandwich protocol, monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) against pepsinogen I (PG I) and PG II were co-coated in 96 microtitration wells, and tracer McAbs against PG I and PG II were labeled with europium (Eu) and samarium (Sm) chelate, respectively. Diluted serum samples of Eu(3+)- and Sm(3+)-McAbs were added into microtitration wells simultaneously. After washing, fluorescence of bound Sm(3+) and Eu(3+) tracers was detected. RESULTS: The detection limit was 0.2 microg/L for PG I and 0.05 microg/L for PG II. The assay range was 5.0-320.0 microg/L for PG I and 1.0-55.0 microg/L for PG II. The average recovery rate was 102.7% for PG I and 98.8% for PG II. Sera from healthy controls and patients with gastric disease were analyzed. The PG detected by dual-label assay was in good agreement with that detected by single-label assay or by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CONCLUSION: Dual-label assay can provide high-throughput serological screening for gastric diseases.