Twenty-four-hour intragastric acidity and plasma gastrin concentration in healthy subjects and patients with duodenal or gastric ulcer, or pernicious anaemia

SUMMARY Twenty-four-hour intragastric acidity and plasma gastrin concentration were measured in healthy subjects (n= 16), and patients with duodenal (n= 12) or gastric (n= 10) ulceration, or pernicious anaemia (n= 8). Median integrated 24-hour intragastric acidity was highest in duodenal ulcer patients and lowest in pernicious anaemia patients (1148 and 0 mmol. hour litre−1, respectively). Median integrated 24-hour plasma gastrin was highest in pernicious anaemia and lowest in the healthy subjects (9886 and 238 pmol. hour litre−1, respectively). Pernicious anaemia patients have unremitting hypergastrinaemia throughout the 24 hours. The results of this study not only provide a reference range of acidity and plasma gastrin in health and disease, but also will act as a baseline for future studies using antisecretory drugs.