Clinical meaning of pepsinogen test and Helicobacter pylori serology in the health check-up population in Korea

OBJECTIVEThis study was performed to assess the affects of age, sex, and Helicobacter pylori status on pepsinogen testing for atrophic gastritis and to establish the clinical implications of pepsinogen test results and H. pylori serology in a Korean population presenting for a health check-up. METHODSSerum pepsinogen (PG) I and PG II, and H. pylori IgG were measured in 1485 adults. The PG values were analyzed based on age, sex, and H. pylori status, and the cutoff value for atrophic gastritis was determined. RESULTSSerum PG I (sPGI) and sPGII were higher in H. pylori positive than in H. pylori negative individuals (sPGI, 56.3 vs. 42.2 μg/l, P