A Statistical Evaluation on the Age and Sex Distribution of Basal Serum Gastrin and Gastric Acid Secretion in Subjects with or without Peptic Ulcer Disease

The basal serum gastrin concentration and stimulated gastric acid secretion (MAO) were measured in 837 patients at Hiroshima University Hospital.

The basal serum gastrin concentration was significantly higher in males than females in the control group (normal and atrophic gastritis) and it was similar in patients with duodenal (DU) and gastric ulcer (GU), while MAO was significantly higher in males than females in all the groups.

The basal serum gastrin concentration increased and MAO decreased with age in the control group. In patients with DU and GU the basal serum gastrin concentration did not change but MAO decreased with age. In patients with DU below 20 years of age, both the basal serum gastrin concentration and MAO were higher than those of age above 20, and were higher than those of the control group less than 20 years old.

These findings may support the concept that in the control group increased gastrin release and decreased MAO with age result from achlorhydria or hypochlorhydria or from atrophy of the gastric mucosa; however, in patients with DU, especially in younger patients, gastrin plays a role in hypersecretion of gastric juice.