Correlation between serum pepsinogen, gastrin 17 and gastric cancer

Objective To explore the relationship between serum pepsinogen (PG), PGⅡ, PG ratio (PGR), gastrin 17 (G17) and gastric cancer, and to provide the basis for the early diagnosis and differential diagnosis of gastric cancer. Methods Two hundred and forty-eight cases of gastric disease diagnosed with gastroscopy in Baoji Central Hospital from December 2015 to February 2017 were selected as study subjects. According to the results of histopathology, the patients were divided into 4 groups: gastric cancer group (47 cases), chronic atrophic gastritis group (52 cases), chronic non-atrophic gastritis group (81 cases), gastric ulcer group (68 cases). Meanwhile, 50 cases healthy people were enrolled as the control group. The levels of serum PGⅠ, PGⅡ and G17 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results The levels of PGⅠ and PGR in gastric cancer group were lower than those in other groups [PGⅠ: (43±7) vs. (47±7), (69±14), (75±17), (112±22) μg/L; PGR: 5.6±0.5 vs. 10.3±2.6, 10.5±2.5, 11.9±2.7, 14.6±3.5], and there was a significant difference (PGⅠ: F= 58.42, P= 0.000; PGR: F= 6.15, P= 0.034). The level of serum G17 in gastric cancer group was significantly higher than that in other groups [(43.8±4.3) vs. (22.4±3.6), (10.7±2.1), (13.2±2.4), (5.8±1.3) pmol/L, F= 43.22, P= 0.000]; The PGⅠ, PGR and G17 combined detection of sensitivity (88.6%), specificity (97.5%), area under the curve (0.986) was significantly higher than that of single detection (78.3%, 89.0%, 88.4%; 72.9%, 87.0%, 73.2%; 0.848, 0.912, 0.923, respectively; χ2= 7.86, 6.42, 9.10; P= 0.019,0.044, 0.012). The regression equation provided a basis for confirmation or exclusion of gastric cancer. Conclusions Serum PGⅠ, PGR, G17 and gastric cancer has a good correlation. Combined detection of serum PGⅠ, PGR and G17 could be used for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of gastric cancer. Key words: Stomach neoplasms; Pepsinogens; Gastrins