N-NITROSO COMPOUNDS, NITRITE AND PH IN HUMAN FASTING GASTRIC-JUICE

Total N-nitroso compounds, ethyl acetate-extractable N-nitroso compoun ds and nitrite were measured in 146 samples of fasting gastric juice t o investigate their relationship with pH. A positive correlation was f ound between pH and extractable N-nitroso compounds (r = 0.206, P < 0. 02), whereas total N-nitroso compounds were pH-independent. It was inf erred that pre-cancerous conditions associated with high gastric pH ma y be produced by an increase in the extractable N-nitroso compounds, w hich constitute only a small fraction of the total gastric N-nitroso c ompounds.