THE ROLE OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR AND SOMATOSTATIN IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF DUODENAL-ULCER DISEASE

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and somatostatin (SST) has presented the evidence that they play an important role in the integrity of gastrod uodenal mucosa against various ulcerogens. These phenomena were identi fied in our animal experiments. Our results revealed that the protecti ve effects of EGF and SST on chemically induced gastric lesion were ve ry marked in rats. It is unclear whether the patients with duodenal ul cer (DU) have a deficiency in EGF and SST release. The results showed that in basal condition, the EGF levels in saliva and gastric juice we re significantly lower in DU patients than in controls. In normal subj ects, chewing of gum increased salivary EGF output, but not significan t in DU patients. After stimulation with pentagastrin, there were no s ignificant change in EGF concentration in saliva and gastric juice in both of DU group and control group. There was a marked reduction of sa livary EGF secretion in cigarette smoker. There was no difference of s alivary EGF release between DU patients with or without Helicobacter p ylori infection. In the study of SST, we found that SST levels, as wel l as the number of D cells in the antrum significantly reduced in comp arison with controls. In contrast, there was no difference in gastrin content and the number of G cells in antral mucosa between two studied groups. Our conclusion is that the dedficiency of EGF and SST release may involved in the pathogenesis of DU disease.