Screening for Atrophic Gastritis: Comparison of the Results of Azure-A Test and Uropepsin Determination with Gastric Biopsy in a Rural Population

Abstract

A ‘high risk group’ consisting of 32 persons was selected from 1046 inhabitants of a Finnish rural commune by means of the Azure-A test and uropepsin determination. Gastric biopsy was performed in 24 persons, and the results were compared with those of a representative series of 142 persons ‘selected at random’ from the same population. Significantly more atrophic gastritis was found in the ‘high risk group’ than in the ‘group selected at random’. During two years 2 cases of pernicious anaemia and 2 cases of gastric carcinoma were found in the ‘high risk group’ while in the control group consisting of 1014 persons no case was found.

Key-words:

• Anaemia, pernicious
• biopsy
• gastric acidity determination
• gastric mucosa
• gastritis
• precancerous conditions, stomach
• uropepsin