Cigarette smoking and group i pepsinogen levels. Study in a normal population
Germanà, B.; Di Mario, F.; Vianello, F.; Dotto, P.; Faggian, D.; Plebani, M.; Saggioro, A.; Naccarato, R.
Giornale di Clinica Medica 71(8-9): 493-495
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0017-0275 PMID: 2279624 Document Number: 359962
Several studies have shown an influence of cigarette smoking on serum pepsinogen group I (PGI) levels in duodenal ulcer patients and in control subjects. The elevation of PGI in smokers has just been interpreted as reflecting some degree of smoking-induced inflammation of the gastric mucosa. We have determined fasting serum PGI by radioimmunoassay in 163 healthy subjects investigated by a survey conducted on a sample population of an urban area in the North-East of Italy by means of a random selection based on the public registers of home addresses. The data reported confirmed that PGI levels are increased by smoking in a healthy population. The main contribution of this study consists in demonstrating in a non-selected population an increase of the only parameter up to date claimed to be a possible serological predictive index for ulcer disease.