EFFECT OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI ERADICATION ON ANTRAL GASTRIN-IMMUNOREACTIVE AND SOMATOSTATIN-IMMUNOREACTIVE CELL-DENSITY AND GASTRIN AND SOMATOSTATIN CONCENTRATIONS

The density of antral gastrin (G)- and somatostatin (D)-immunoreactive cells and the contents of antral gastrin and somatostatin were invest igated in endoscopic antral biopsy specimens from patients with duoden al ulcer before and after eradication of Helicobacter pylori. After H. pylori eradication both antral somatostatin concentration (p = 0.0002 ) and antral D-cell density (p = 0.01) increased significantly. Conver sely, although the number of G-cells was unchanged, antral (p = 0.0002 ) and serum (p = 0.001) gastrin contents decreased significantly. The number of oxyntic D-cells did not change significantly. These results strongly suggest that the hypergastrinaemia observed in H. pylori-posi tive patients may be due to a deficiency in antral somatostatin, which normally inhibits the synthesis and release of gastrin.