Helicobacter pylori, hypergastrinaemia and duodenal ulcer: a causal relationship

ABSTRACT

The relation between Helicobacter pylori infection and fasting gastrin was evaluated in 60 subjects [20 H. pylori positive duodenal ulcer patients, 20 H. pylori positive normal upper gastrointestinal tract [GIT] endoscopy and 20 H. pylori negative subjects]. H. pylori infection was determined by histopathology of endoscopy taken antral biopsy. Fasting serum gastrin was assayed with specific radioimmunoassay systems. Results clearly indicated that fasting gastrin was higher in H. pylori positive patients compared with H. pylori negative subjects. Fasting gastrin concentration in serum samples of H. pylori positive patients with duodenal ulcer was insignificantly higher than those with normal upper GIT endoscopy, suggesting that similar mechanisms are involved in increasing serum concentration of this variable in both population groups. Eradication of H. pylori infection from patients with active duodenal ulcers is a accompanied by fall in basal gastrin level to values near to those with H. pylori negative patients. According to these results, it is evident that basal hypergastrinaemia, which is an important hormonal factor in the pathogenesis of duodenal ulcer disease, can be or partially due to antral mucosal invasion by H. pylori infection