Comparison of Serum Gastrin Level with Anti–Helicobacter Pylori Antibody in Helicobacter Pylori Infected Patients with and without Peptic Ulcer

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Colonization of helicobacter pylori bacteria on the surface of the gastric epithelium causes acute and chronic inflammatory process. The reason why Helicobacter pylori cause different gastroduodenal diseases and why some people with helicobacter infection develop peptic ulcer is not clear. This study was performed to compare the gastrin and serum IgG antibody level between two groups with and without peptic ulcer.METHODS: This case control study was performed on 106 dyspeptic patients referred to endoscopy unit in Shahid Beheshti hospital of Babol, Iran. For each participant blood samples were obtained for the measurement of IgG antibody and gastrin. Fifty four patients were positive (case group) and 52 patients were negative (control group) for peptic ulcer in endoscopy. All who were positive for H. pylori by means of histological detection were enrolled into the study. Then the results were separately compared between the groups. The other factors including age, sex, weight and height of patients were enrolled in the study.FINDINGS: Mean age of patients in ulcer group was 46.7±13.4 years and in control group was 42.7±12.7 years. Mean gastrin level in case group was 8.9±11.8 pmol/lit and in control group was 11.9±14.9 pmol/lit (p=0.4). Mean IgG antibody to H. pylori in case group was 18.8±25.2 Iu/ml and in control group was 30.8±36.3 Iu/ml (p=0.05). The mean IgG antibody and gastrin levels in control group were higher than case group. There was no correlation between the level of antibody or serum gastrin and ulcer formation and other factors like weight, height, sex and age.CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the level of IgG antibody or serum gastrin in serum could not predict the possibility of developing ulcer. More studies in different age groups and correlation with histopathology is recommended