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Review
. 2023 Jul 15;15(7):1174-1181.
doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i7.1174.

Clinical value of serum pepsinogen in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric diseases

Yuan Qin  1 , Jia-Xin Geng  1 , Biao Huang  2
Affiliations
Review

Clinical value of serum pepsinogen in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric diseases

Yuan Qin et al. World J Gastrointest Oncol. .

Abstract

Pepsinogen, secreted from the gastric mucosa, is the precursor of pepsin. It is categorized as pepsinogen 1 and pepsinogen 2 based on its immunogenicity. The pepsinogen content that can enter the blood circulation through the capillaries of the gastric mucosa is approximately 1% and remains stable all the time. The pepsinogen content in serum will change with the pathological changes of gastric mucosa. Therefore, the level of pepsinogen in serum can play a role in serologic biopsy to reflect the function and morphology of different regions of gastric mucosa and serve as an indicator of gastric disease. This study conducts relevant research on serum pepsinogen 1, pepsinogen 2, and the ratio of pepsinogen 1 to pepsinogen 2, and reviews their important value in clinical diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection, gastric ulcer, and even gastric carcinoma, providing ideas for other researchers.

Keywords: Gastric diseases; Pepsinogen 1; Pepsinogen 2; Serological biopsy; Serological marker.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Expression of pepsinogen 1 and pepsinogen 2 in gastric mucosa.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Development of gastric mucosal lesion.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Relationship between serum pepsinogen level and gastric diseases. H. pylori: Helicobacter pylori.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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