Effects of long-term treatment with lansoprazole and omeprazole on serum gastrin and the fundic mucosa.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of long-term lansoprazole and omeprazole treatment (6 months) on serum gastrin levels. PATIENTS: Forty duodenal ulcer patients without previous treatment with proton pump inhibitors were randomized to receive either 20 mg/day or omeprazole or 30 mg/day of lansoprazole. Serum gastrin levels were determined on entry and every 2 months. On finalizing the study antral and fundic biopsies were obtained for immunohistochemical analysis of the enterochromaffin-like cell population. RESULTS: Before starting the treatment fasting serum gastrin was similar in both groups (108.7 +/- 60.9 pg/mL omeprazole; 102.7 +/- 56.9 pg/mL lansoprazole). The treatment with either omeprazole or lansoprazole increased serum gastrin levels, but the increase was mild, maximal at 2 months and similar between omeprazole and lansoprazole (113.44 +/- 114.9 pg/mL omeprazole vs 166.1 +/- 117.9 pg/mL lansoprazole; p > 0.05). When serum gastrin levels were individually analyzed by patient, most were below 200 pg/mL and only 3 patients (1 omeprazole/2 lansoprazole) had levels near 500 pg/mL which were not correlated with enterochromaffin-like cell hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment with either omeprazole or lansoprazole is safe, at least during 6 months, and results in mild hypergastrinemia. No differences between these two drugs were observed.