Statistical analysis of serum pepsinogen I (PG I) and II (PG II) levels, PG I/PG II ratios and serum gastrin levels in a general population.

To allow adoption of serum pepsinogen as a screening indicator of gastric cancer, serum pepsinogen I & II levels, the ratios of PG I / PG II and the serum gastrin levels in a general population were studied using 850 samples selected at random from a rural area in Japan. The collected data were analyzed statistically to determine the distribution characteristics by various categories of sex and age. The following results were obtained:1. The distributions of PG I and PG II, the ratios of PG I/PG II and serum gastrin values largely deviated from the normal distribution. Therefore, the use of non-parametrical methods was recommended for analysis of these data.2. Although no significant difference between all selected men and all selected women was observed in any of the three parameters of PG I and PG II levels and the ratios of PG I / PG II, a significant difference between men and women was observed for PG I levels in under-fifty age groups. On the other hand, the median serum gastrin value (92.0 pg/ml) in all selected men was significantly lower than that (101.0 pg/ml) in all selected women. A statistically significant difference between men and women was observed in serum gastrin levels both in the under-forty age group and in the sixty and over age group.3. No significant difference was observed in the pattern of changes in PG I levels with increasing age in either men or women. While PG II levels in men varied irregularly with advancing age, PG II levels in women showed obvious increases with advancing age. The ratios of PG I / PG II showed a tendency to decrease with advancing age in both men and women. Conversely, serum gastrin levels increased with advancing age in both men and women.