Abstract:Objective To investigate the optimal cutoff values of Kyoto gastritis score based on gastroscopy, pepsinogen (PG) combined with gastrin-17 (G-17) for predicting Helicobacter pylori positive atrophic gastritis in middle-aged and elderly patients.Methods The subjects of this study were 120 middle-aged and elderly patients admitted, diagnosed with atrophic gastritis through gastroscopy examination and pathological biopsy and proved to be Hp positive via 14C urea breath test from August 2022 to June 2023. All patients were divided into atrophic gastritis group (AG group) with 68 cases and non atrophic gastritis group (non-AG group) with 52 cases according to atrophic gastritis results. The AG group was further divided per Kimura-Takemoto classification into mild AG group (n = 12), moderate AG group (n = 32) and severe AG group (n = 24). Kyoto gastritis score based on gastroscopy was performed in all patients. And test their serum pepsinogen Ⅰ (PGⅠ), pepsinogen Ⅱ (PGⅡ), G-17 levels via chemiluminescence and calculate the PGR = PGⅠ/PGⅡ. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was adopted to assess the value of Kyoto gastritis score and serum PG and G-17 for predicting Hp positive atrophic gastritis in middle-aged and elderly patients.Results There were statistically significant differences in Kyoto gastritis score, serum PGⅠ, PGR and G-17 levels between AG group and non-AG group (t = 13.38, P = 0.000; t = 50.84, P = 0.000; t = 26.44, P = 0.000; t = 9.44, P = 0.000). The Kyoto score of gastritis in AG group was higher than that in non-AG group (P < 0.05). The levels of serum PGⅠ, PGR and G-17 in AG group were lower than those in non-AG group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum PGⅡ level between AG group and non-AG group (t = 1.24, P = 0.219). There were statistically significant differences in Kyoto gastritis score, serum PGⅠ, PGR and G-17 levels among mild AG group, moderate AG group and severe AG group (F = 33.95, P = 0.000; F = 81.99, P = 0.000; F = 67.36, P = 0.001; F = 33.50, P = 0.004). The mild AG group had a significantly lower Kyoto gastritis score than the moderate AG group and severe AG group (P < 0.05), and the moderate AG group had a significantly lower Kyoto gastritis score than the severe AG group (P < 0.05). The mild AG group and moderate AG group had significantly higher serum PGⅠ and PGR levels than the severe AG group (P < 0.05), and the mild AG group was higher than moderate AG group (P < 0.05). The mild AG group had a significantly lower serum G-17 level than the moderate AG group and severe AG group (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the moderate AG group and severe AG group (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum PGⅡ levels among mild AG group, moderate AG group and severe AG group (F = 1.03, P = 0.364). The optimal cutoff values of Kyoto gastritis score and serum PGⅠ, PGR and G-17 for predicting atrophic gastritis in middle-aged and elderly patients with Hp positive were 2.78, 38.26 μg/L, 1.92 and 9.54 pmol/L, respectively. The AUC of Kyoto gastritis score for predicting Hp positive atrophic gastritis in middle-aged and elderly patients was 0.780, the sensitivity was 71.42%, and the specificity was 78.62%. The AUC of PGⅠ for predicting Hp positive atrophic gastritis in middle-aged and elderly patients was 0.757, the sensitivity was 66.27%, and the specificity was 83.25%. The AUC of PGR for predicting Hp positive atrophic gastritis in middle-aged and elderly patients was 0.792, the sensitivity was 76.23%, and the specificity was 87.35%. The AUC of G-17 for predicting Hp positive atrophic gastritis in middle-aged and elderly patients was 0.672, the sensitivity was 60.24%, and the specificity was 74.28%. The AUC of the combination of the four markers for predicting Hp positive atrophic gastritis in middle-aged and elderly patients was 0.871, the sensitivity was 81.28%, and the specificity was 87.36%.Conclusion The Kyoto gastritis score based on gastroscopy, serum PGⅠ, PGR combined with G-17 have good predictive value for Hp positive atrophic gastritis in middle-aged and elderly patients, and the optimal cutoff values for the four markers are 2.78 points, 38.26 μg/L, 1.92 and 9.54 pmol/L in turn.