Abstract
Biopsy specimens from the antral and body part of the stomach were studied for a range of marker enzymes in 11 patients with superficial gastritis, 9 patients with atrophic gastritis, and 31 Billroth-II-resected patients and compared with activities found in controls with normal gastric mucosa. Li the antral part of the stomach increased y-glutamyitransferase activity was found in superficial (p < 0.01) and atrophic gastritis (p < 0.05), whereas monoamine oxidase activity was decreased in superficial (p < 0.01) and atrophic gastritis (p < 0.05). In the body part, increased activity of y-glutamyltransferase (p < 0.01) and acid-β-glucuronidase (p < 0.01) was found in superficial gastritis. In atrophic gastritis increased activities for lactase (p<0.01), alkaline phosphatase (p<0.05), leucyl-β-naphthylamidase (p<0.05), γ-glutamyltransferase (p < 0.01), 5′-nucleotidase (p < 0.01), N-acetyl-β-D-glucos-aminidase (p < 0.05), and acid-β-glucuronidase (p < 0.01) were found. Specimens from the gastric remnant showed an enzyme activity pattern similar to that seen in the body in atrophic gastritis, apart from a significantly decreased monoamine oxidase activity (p < 0.004). Specimens with dysplasia in the gastric remnant showed decreased monoamine oxidase activity when compared with specimens without dysplasia (p < 0.01).