Abstract
The aim of this study was to clarify the usefulness of combined uses of serum pepsinogen (PG) method and Helicobacter pylori (Hp) antibody value as a screening method for gastric cancer. The evaluation was performed on 5032 people (3497 male, 1535 female, 24-89 y. o., mean age; 51.2 y. o.) who underwent all of PG method, Hp antibody value test and endoscopy on the same day. We defined those subjects as positive for PG as those who had levels of PG I lower than 70ng/ml and a PG I/II ratio of less than 3.0. Consequently, all the subjects were classified into 3 groups on the basis of the blood test results in Hp antibody and PG method judgments;“A” group is the subjects who had Hp antibody (-), PG method (-),“B” group is the subjects who had Hp antibody (+), PG method (-),“C” group is the subjects who had PG method (+). Thirty-three cases of gastric cancer subjects were found by the endoscopy performed on the same day with the blood test, of which 27 cases were those classified in the “C” group, 5 cases were in the “B” group, and 1 case was in the Hp indeterminate group, and any gastric cancer subject was not found in the “A” group. Gastric cancer detection rate was 2.27% in the “C” group, which was significantly higher than that either in the “A” group (0%) and the “B” group (0.22%). The detection rate of hyperplastic polyp among the subjects was the highest in the “C” group, and 9 cases of gastric adenoma were all found in the “C” group subjects. Peptic ulcer (including the scar) was found in the highest rate among the “B” group subjects. The detection rate of peptic ulcer in “A” group subjects was very low. These results suggest that combined uses of serum PG method and HP antibody are useful for gastric cancer screening. And it is considered that evaluation of the gastric health levels for the subjects may be possible by checking up the presence of Hp infection and gastric mucosal atrophy with the blood test.
