Serum pepsinogen II levels are doubled with Helicobacter pylori infection in an asymptomatic population of 40,383 Chinese subjects

Pepsinogen (PG) I and II are crucial in the gastric digestive processes. This study is to examine the relationship of serum PGI, PGII, and PGI/PGII ratio with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) in subjects in Beijing, China. A total of 40,383 asymptomatic subjects, who underwent medical examination in Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, were included in this study. Serum PG levels were measured using chemoluminescence techniques. The age, sex, and BMI data were collected, and Hp infection was identified with (13)C-urea breath test. Statistical analysis was conducted with Python, Pandas and Seaborn software. Asymptomatic subjects with Hp infection (Hp+) had a significantly higher level of PGI in the serum (111 ng/mL [median]) than those without Hp infection (Hp−) (94 ng/mL, P < .001). The asymptomatic Hp+ subjects had 2-fold higher PGII levels (7.2 ng/mL) than Hp− subjects (3.2 ng/mL, P < .001). These changes produced significantly lower PGI/II ratio in Hp+ patients than in Hp− subjects (16:30, P < .001). The serum PGI and PGII levels were higher in males than in females (PGI: 104 ng/mL vs 95 ng/mL, PGII: 4.3 ng/mL vs 3.7 ng/mL, both P < .001), PGI/II ratio of males is at 95% of that in females (P < .001). PGI and PGII levels gradually increased in older people (P < .001), whereas the PGI/II ratio decreased significantly with age (P < .001). The levels of the two serum PGs were decreased and the ratio increased when BMI were higher than 28 kg/cm(2) (P < .05). The levels of serum PGI, especial PGII, were increased by Hp infection, and also influenced by age, sex, and BMI. Therefore, these influencing factors should be considered during clinical practice.