Patent ID: 6696262
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: A61B,G01N

Abstract:
A method for screening for atrophy of the corpus of the stomach from blood serum, such atrophy correlating with increased risk of gastric cancer, said method comprising:a) obtaining a serum sample from a patient; b) quantitatively measuring the pepsinogen-I from said serum sample using an immunoassay and comparing the value obtained to a cut-off value for pepsinogen-I selected from a range of approximately 20-30 &mgr;g/l, which overlaps the lower end of the reference range of approximately 25-120 &mgr;g/l; and c) quantitatively measuring the gastrin-17 concentration from said serum sample by immunoassay and comparing the values obtained to a reference range of approximately 2-25 pmol/l for gastrin-17, whereby a pepsinogen-I concentration in said serum sample below the cut-off value in combination with a gastrin-17 above the upper reference limit is indicative of atrophy of the corpus area of the stomach.