GastroPanel for the development of safe diagnosis and treatment practice for dyspepsia, Helicobacter pylori infection, atrophic gastritis, and related risks.

Already in the beginning of the 1980s, the Australian doctors Barry J, Marshall and J. Robin Warren made the remarkable discovery that inflammation in the stomach (gastritis) as well as ulceration of stomach or duodenum (peptic ulcer disease) are the result of Helicobacter pylori infection in the stomach. Over two decades later, they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2005.

GastroPanel takes a step further

Biohit has taken the idea of Marshall & Warren a step further. The unique, non-invasive GastroPanel examination diagnoses not only H. pylori infection, but also atrophic gastritis and its location. Atrophic gastritis causes increase risk of e.g. gastric cancer, vitamin B12 deficiency and peptic ulcer disease. GastroPanel also reveals if risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease is increased, due to high stomach acid secretion.

GastroPanel examination measures four biomarkers in blood: pepsinogen I and II, gastrin-17 and H. pylori antibodies. The GastroPanel examination and the GastroSoft software interpreting its results have been developed for use as a primary and follow-up examination in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with dyspepsia, H. pylori infection, atrophic gastritis and related risks.

If the GastroPanel examination gives a normal result, the diagnosis is either functional dyspepsia or another disease not involving the gastric mucosa. The examination diagnoses H. pylori infection, atrophic gastritis and its location (corpus, antrum or both). GastroSoft interpretation software shows the test results, reference ranges and diagnosis, and when necessary, also gives recommendation on possible treatment or further testing. The GastroSoft report also indicates if there is an increased risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Until now, before GastroPanel was invented, H. pylori -related atrophic gastritis and the associated risks could only be detected with gastroscopy and biopsy specimen examination. The current "test and treat" method is unable to detect them. This serious medical and ethical problem can be corrected simply and economically by including the GastroPanel examination as the test used in the "test and treat" strategy.

The GastroPanel invention will allow practical medicine to benefit from the discovery of H. pylori even more than before. When combined, the two discoveries promote the development of safe and ethical evidence-based therapy, particularly in outpatient care and possibly also in screening examinations.

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