Gastrin Studies in Gastric Ulcer

Basal serum gastrin in 40 patients with benign gastric ulcer was 103 +/- 10.7 pg/ml, a level significantly higher than corresponding estimations in normal subjects and patients with duodenal ulcer. Following stimulation by a protein meal, a mean rise of 124 pg/ml was achieved at 75 minutes and prior atropinization induced a rise of 208 pg/ml at 90 minutes. Insulin hypoglycaemia produced a rise of 63 pg/ml which was not significantly changed with concomitant neutralization of gastric contents. These results suggest that patients with gastric ulcer have higher basal gastrin levels than normal and this is probably related to the lowered antral acidity. In addition, the protein meal and insulin hypoglycaemia responses suggest an increased antral G cell mass and the possibility of additional gastrin release from sites outside the antrum. It is doubtful whether the relative hypergastrinaemia has an aetiological role in gastric ulcer but it may have a role in the maintenance of gastric ulcer.