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Serum gastrin levels in children with peptic ulcer disease
Insights
Fasting serum gastrin levels are not elevated in most children with peptic ulcer disease. Therefore, serum gastrin is not a reliable screening test for pediatric peptic ulcer disease, except in cases of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) in children can present with varied symptoms.
- Serum gastrin levels are a known biomarker for certain gastrointestinal conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate fasting serum gastrin levels in children diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease.
- To determine the utility of serum gastrin as a screening tool for pediatric PUD.
Main Methods:
- Radioimmunoassay was used to measure fasting serum gastrin levels.
- 53 children with various types of peptic ulcer disease were included.
- Levels were compared to age-matched control groups.
Main Results:
- Mean fasting serum gastrin levels in children with chronic duodenal ulcer, acute gastric ulcer, and acute duodenal ulcer (stratified by age) were not significantly different from controls.
- No overall elevation in fasting serum gastrin was observed in pediatric PUD patients.
Conclusions:
- Fasting serum gastrin levels are not elevated in children with peptic ulcer disease.
- Serum gastrin measurement is not a suitable screening test for pediatric PUD.
- An exception is considered for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, which characteristically involves hypergastrinemia.
Abstract:
Fasting serum gastrin values were measured by radioimmunoassay in 53 children with peptic ulcer disease. The mean fasting serum gastrin levels for children with chronic duodenal ulcer, acute gastric ulcer, acute duodenal ulcer who were younger than two years old and acute duodenal ulcer who were older than two years old were: 46.2 +/- 25.7 pg/mL, 46.9 +/- 43.5 pg/mL, 47.9 +/- 12.0 pg/mL and 37.5 +/- 17.8 pg/mL, respectively. Children with peptic ulcer disease did not have elevated fasting serum gastrin levels when compared with age-matched controls. We conclude that a fasting serum gastrin value cannot be used as a screening test for peptic ulcer disease in children, except for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.