Plasma Gastrin, Daytime Intragastric pH, and Nocturnal Acid Output before and at 1 and 7 Months after Eradication of Helicobacter pylori in Duodenal Ulcer Subjects

Abstract

Nine patients with Helicobacter pylori-related antral gastritis and history of duodenal ulceration were studied before and at 1 and 7 months after eradication of the infection by a 4-week course of tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate, metronidazole, and amoxycillin. The median basal gastrin concentration before eradication was 30 ng/1 (range, 20–60) and fell to 20 ng/1 (5–20) at 1 month (p < 0.02) and 15 ng/1 (5–20) at 7 months (p < 0.01) after eradication. The integrated gastrin response to a peptide meal was 3650 ng/1 · min (range, 1875–6025) before treatment compared with 1800 ng/ 1 · min (range, 1200–3075) at 1 month (p < 0.01) and 1312 ng/1 · min (875–2625) at 7 months (p < 0.03). Daytime intragastric pH (0900–2100 h) was similar before treatment (median, 1.4; range, 1.1–2.1) and at 1 month (1.4; 1.1–2.3) and 7 months (1.4; 1–2.2) after eradication. In five of the patients nighttime acid output (2300–0900 h) was also studied and was similar before (median, 86 mmol/10 h; range, 52–114) and at 1 month (76 mmol/10 h; 50–143) and 7 months (94 mmol/10 h; 63–106) after eradication. In conclusion, eradication of H. pylori is accompanied by a sustained fall in serum gastrin concentrations but is not accompanied by an early or late reduction of daytime intragastric acidity or nighttime acid output.

Key Words:

• Acid secretion
• duodenal ulcer
• gastrin
• Helicobacter pylori
• intragastric pH