Abstract
Gastric acid secretion is believed to decrease in the aging stomach, but the number of elderly patients on proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy is increasing. The aim was to assess gastric function by means of serology (PGI, PGII, G17 and IgG antibodies against <em>Helicobacter pylori</em>) in centenarians. Twenty-five centenarians (2 males, 23 females, mean age 101.3 years, range 100- 106 years) underwent to serological gastric markers assessment by means of Gastropanel<sup>®</sup>. Patients with laboratory signs of severe oxyntic gastric atrophy (OGA) underwent gastroscopy with biopsy samples. Twelve patients (48.0%) had serological values according to normal gastric secretion; 3 patients (12%) had serological values according to severe OGA, confirmed by histology; 21 patients (84.0%) had serological values according to <em>H. pylori</em> infection. Acid secretion seems to be preserved in a large part of centenarians. Serological markers may be helpful to identify patients affected by OGA, in whom the administration of PPI is inappropriate.
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