Is measurement of basal levels of serum pepsinogen II useful in proving the eradication of Helicobacter pylori by treatment

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the influence of the eradication of Helicobacter pylori on the basal concentrations of serum pepsinogen II in patients with duodenal ulcer. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with active duodenal ulcer were prospectively studied. A triple therapy was used consisting in bismuth, metronidazole and tetracycline. At the time of initial endoscopy and in those performed 5 months later on completion of the treatment, biopsies of the gastric mucosa were taken for histologic and microbiologic studies, and the basal concentrations of serum pepsinogen II are also determined. RESULTS: The eradication of H. pylori was accompanied by a significant pathologic improvement (p < 0.001) in both the antrum and the gastric body. On eradication of H. pylori, the basal pepsinogen II value (m +/- SD) decreased from 9.2 +/- 2.7 ng/ml to 6.4 +/- 1.7 ng/ml after treatment (p < 0.001). However, when eradication was not achieved, these values increased (11.8 ng/ml) with respect to the initial determination (9.3 ng/ml) (p < 0.05). The area under the ROC curve was 0.99 (SE 0.01) with a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 100% with respect to the diagnosis of infection eradication (cut off point of the decrease of pepsinogen levels O). CONCLUSIONS: The eradication of Helicobacter pylori in patients with duodenal ulcer is associated with a significant decrease in the basal concentrations of serum pepsinogen II measured 5 months after completion of treatment. The verification of this decrease constitutes a useful, inexpensive non invasive method to prove the eradication of H. pylori with treatment.