Tissue and serum pepsinogen I and II in gastric cancer identified using immunohistochemistry and rapid ELISA. Issue 4 (April 1995)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Konishi, N; Matsumoto, K; Hiasa, Y; Kitahori, Y; Hayashi, I; Matsuda, H
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical pathology. Volume 48:Issue 4(1995)
• Page Start: 364
• Page End: 367
• Publication Date: 1995-04
• Subjects: Pathology -- Periodicals; Pathology, Molecular -- Periodicals; 616.0705
• DOI: 10.1136/jcp.48.4.364
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9746

Abstract

Abstract : AIMS--To investigate the immunohistochemical expression and the serum concentrations of pepsinogen I and II in different histological types of gastric cancer as compared with other gastric disorders. METHODS--Formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded tissue specimens of 38 gastric cancers obtained from surgical cases were used for the immunohistochemical studies performed with the avidin-biotin complex method using monoclonal antibodies against purified pepsinogen I and II. Pepsinogen concentrations from serum obtained from the above patients, from patients with various other gastric disorders, and from normal controls were measured with a rapid non-radioactive one step enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS--Eight of 38 (21%) and seven of 38 (18%) gastric carcinomas showed immunoreactivity to pepsinogen I and pepsinogen II, respectively, without any correlation to histological classification or differentiation. Decreased pepsinogen I concentrations and low pepsinogen I:II ratios were found specifically in cases of gastric carcinoma and polyp, in good accordance with the immunohistochemical results. CONCLUSIONS--Low serum pepsinogen I concentrations and a low pepsinogen I:II ratio are predictive of gastric neoplasia, correlating with low tissue immunoreactivity to monoclonal antibodies raised against pepsinogen I and II. For mass screening of gastric disease including carcinoma, ELISA using a one step immunoassay performed in the present study is a rapid and reliable non-radioactive method of detecting serum pepsinogen. In addition, immunohistochemical studies showed that pepsinogen production may be increased or diminished as a result of tumour histogenesis, depending on the area of origin and the processes of cell transformation and dedifferentiation.