Antral Somatostatin Contents and Acidity of Gastric Juice in Normal Subjects and Patients with Duodenal Ulcer

The antral somatostatin contents were investigated in biopsy specimens of the antrum from normal subjects and patients with duodenal ulcer. There was good correlation (r=0.77044) between antral somatostatin contents and maximal acidity in normal subjects, but the correlation between antral somatostatin contents and maximal acid output was not significant (r=0.254367). This result may indicate that antral somatostatin content is regulated by intragastric pH in normal subjects. On the other hands, no correlation was observed between antral somatostatin contents and acidity or acid output in patients with duodenal ulcer. Therefore the impaired regulation of acid on antral somatostatin contents could be one of the important factors in the pathogenesis of duodenal ulcer disease

Familial Aggregation of Duodenal Ulcer and an Autosomal Dominant Inheritance of Hyperpepsinogenemia I

To clarify genetic factors involved in the familial aggregation of duodenal ulcer, serum pepsinogen I levels were determined by radioimmunoassay in patients with duodenal ulcer and their affected and unaffected relatives. There existed relationship between an elevated pepsinogen I level and susceptability of duodenal ulcer, and the familial aggregation of duodenal ulcer. The segregation analysis revealed that hyperpepsinogenemia I was inherited as an autosomal dominant inheritance, and in some families this trait was responsible for familial aggregation of duodenal ulcer. But in other families normopepsinogenemic I duodenal ulcer has segregated and association to pathophysiological factors of this trait was obscure. These data provide evidence that genetic factors play a role in pathogenesis of duodenal ulcer, and that hyperpepsinogenemia I is one of genetic markers of this disease

Epidemiologic Studies and Recent Changes of Peptic Ulcer Disease During the Past 10 Years: Study of 2548 Cases Collected During 1974 to 1983 in Hiroshima University Hospital

In order to examine the annual changes of peptic ulcer disease in Hiroshima District, a total number of 2548 patients with peptic ulcer were studied during the period from 1974 to 1983. From the results obtained, gastric ulcer (GU) was more common than duodenal ulcer (DU), and gastric ulcer combined with duodenal ulcer (GDU) was rare. The male to female ratio was 2.7 for GU, 5.0 for GDU and 3.4 for DU. There was a marked male preponderance in GU, GDU and DU. The male to female ratio of GU was surprisingly constant in all decades, while that of DU varied considerably between the different age groups, being on the highest 6.6 in the second decade. There was no marked annual change in GU to DU ratio during the period from 1977 to 1983. On the other hand, it was shown that the male preponderance pattern had changed gradually in both GU and DU