Correlation between a proteolytic method and a radioimmunoassay for porcine serum pepsinogen concentrations

The measurement of serum pepsinogen concentrations by enzymatic method and immunoassay provides diagnostic values and should be helpful in the detection of gastric diseases related to a rise of blood pepsinogen. In the present study, the correlation between a conventional enzymatic method and a recently developed radioimmunoassay (RIA) for serum pepsinogen A was investigated. A total of 123 sera samples of porcine foetuses (n = 28), adult healthy pigs (n = 56), pigs with parakeratosis (n = 25) and pigs with ulceration of the pars oesophagea (n = 14) were tested. Overall, there was a slight correlation between the two methods (r = 0.60). In relation to individual animal groups, the correlations (r) were 0.39 (P > 0.05), 0.74 (P < 0.001), 0.19 (P > 0.05) and 0.34 (P > 0.05) in foetuses, healthy pigs, pigs with parakeratosis and pigs with ulcers, respectively. In both methods, pepsinogen concentrations (means ± SE) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in pigs with parakeratosis (1778 ± 86.00 mUTyr/L; 690 ± 53.00 ng/mL) and in pigs with ulcers (2026 ± 153.00 mUTyr/L; 1747 ± 94.00 ng/mL) when compared to healthy pigs (935 ± 58.00 mUTyr/L; 275 ± 35.00 ng/mL). The proteolytic method gave a significant increased activity (P < 0.05) in foetuses (1150 ± 82.00 mUTyr/L) vs. (935 ± 58.00 mUTyr/L) in healthy adult pigs, indicating an additional proteolytic activity in the sera of foetuses or neonates.