The continuous variable of ghrelin (scaled to 159 pg/ml) supported the inverse relationship observed between serum ghrelin and non-cardia gastric cancer, with OR (95% CI)  = 2.09 (1.53–2.84) and 1.81 (1.25–2.64) for decreasing level of ghrelin before and after adjustment for serum PG I/II ratio, smoking and H.pylori infection status, respectively. The gene discussed is GHRL; the disease is gastric cancer.