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Abstract
To further characterize coeliac sprue, the hormonal content of routine endoscopic biopsies of gastroduodenal mucosa was estimated in 5 coeliac sprue patients and in 8 volunteers without upper gastrointestinal disease. Levels of cholecystokinin-like immu-noreactivity tended to be lower in duodenal mucosa of coeliac sprue patients, while the mucosal map of GIP and somatostatin exhibited no peculiar profile. Gastrin was markedly elevated in the antral mucosa of coeliac sprue patients (3013 ± 760 versus 1048 ± 392 pmol/g), while basal plasma gastrin was normal. The mucosal VIP content of the descending duodenum was significantly higher in coeliacs than in controls (409 ± 161 versus 81 ± 16 pmol/g) and tended to be increased also in the remaining upper small intestine. This rise may be a reaction to mucosal irritation and a reason for enhanced fluid secretion. Even in antral mucosa of coeliac sprue patients, VIP levels were elevated when compared to controls (82 ± 14 versus 40 ± 8 pmol/g) and may have some impact, e.g. on local mucosal blood flow or mucus secretion. The mucosal concentration of another putative neurotransmitter, substance P, also showed a tendency to be raised in the mucosa of upper small intestine of coeliac sprue patients.