Benign gastric polyps: morphological and functional origin.

The most common types of benign gastric polyps are fundic gland polyps, hyperplastic polyps, and adenomas. The aim of this study was to determine on which morphological and functional background benign gastric polyps develop. The study includes 85 consecutive patients with gastric polyps and sex- and age-matched controls without polyps selected at random from a general population sample. The type of polyp was hyperplastic in 52 (61%), fundic gland in 18 (21%), adenoma in 10 (12%), carcinoid in 2 (2%), hamartoma in 2 (2%), and inflammatory fibroid in 1 (1%) of the cases. Routine biopsies from the gastric corpus and antrum were examined for presence of gastritis and H. pylori. Blood samples were analyzed for H. pylori antibodies, H+,K+-ATPase antibodies, gastrin, and pepsinogen I. Patients with hyperplastic polyps had increased P-gastrin concentrations and S-H+,K+-ATPase antibody titers and decreased S-pepsinogen I concentrations with a high prevalence of atrophic corpus gastritis or pangastritis. A similar pattern was observed among patients with adenomas, whereas patients with fundic gland polyps had normal serology and a lower prevalence of gastritis and H. pylori infection than controls. In conclusion, hyperplastic polyps and adenomas are generally associated with atrophic gastritis. Patients with fundic gland polyps seem to have a sounder mucosa than controls. Whereas the risk of malignant gastric neoplasia is increased in patients with hyperplastic polyps or adenomas, this does not seem to be the case in patients with fundic gland polyps.

Reduction in serum pepsinogen I after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

The excluded stomach after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) cannot be readily examined by endoscopy for obvious anatomic reasons. Thus it is difficult to monitor possible changes in the gastric mucosa. However, the type and severity of gastritis can now be assessed by a combination of serologic tests: pepsinogen I and antibodies to Helicobacter pylori and H,K-ATPase. Morbidly obese patients were examined before and 1 to 4 years after surgery. A group of 34 patients (mean age 39 years, BMI 44 kg/m(2)) underwent RYGBP; another group of 30 patients (mean age 42 years, BMI 44 kg/m(2)) had simple gastric restriction and served as control subjects. All patients, except one in the control group, had normal titers of pepsinogen I before surgery. One year after RYGBP, pepsinogen I levels were significantly reduced, as compared to the control group (P<0.0001), and remained low throughout the study. The control group had stable pepsinogen I levels. In both groups, few patients had increased titers of H. pylori or H,K-ATPase antibodies, but these abnormalities remained unchanged. Low pepsinogen I levels, similar to those we observed in our RYGBP patients, have been linked to chronic atrophic gastritis. However, the absence of food stimulation in the excluded stomach could also be a reason for the low pepsinogen I levels.

Diagnosis of gastritis by means of a combination of serological analyses.

BACKGROUND: Gastroscopy and examination of biopsy is normally required for diagnosis of gastritis. This is costly and inconvenient for the patient, and there is a need for a simple pregastroscopic screening method to reduce the endoscopy workload. Our aim was to develop a serological screening test for gastritis. METHODS: Sera from subjects examined with gastroscopy and biopsy were analyzed for H,K-ATPase antibodies, Helicobacter pylori antibodies and pepsinogen I. The diagnoses were normal gastric mucosa (n=50), duodenal ulcer (n=53) and atrophic corpus gastritis, with (n=50) or without pernicious anemia (n=46). RESULTS: An evaluation scheme was constructed to optimize the diagnostic agreement between serology and gastric mucosal morphology. The sensitivity to detect gastritis was 98% (146/149) (95% CI 94-100%) and the specificity 84% (42/50) (95% CI 71-93%). Additional sera from 483 subjects from the general population were analyzed. There was a good agreement between serology and gastric mucosal morphology. CONCLUSIONS: Assays of multiple serum analytes are useful for the initial screening of gastritis. They are complementary to upper gastroscopy by identification of subjects with a normal gastric mucosa, those who qualify for eradication of H. pylori, and those who have developed atrophy and are at risk of developing malignancy and, therefore, require gastroscopic examination.