Eradication of Helicobacter pylori abolishes 24‐hour hypergastrinaemia: a prospective study in healthy subjects

• Published in: Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 283 - 290
• Main Authors: PREWETT, E. J., SMITH, J. T. L., NWOKOLO, C. U., HUDSON, M., SAWYERR, A. M., POUNDER, R. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.1991; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Amoxicillin - administration & dosage; Amoxicillin - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Circadian Rhythm - drug effects; Duodenal Ulcer; Female; Gastric Acidity Determination; Gastrins - blood; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Helicobacter Infections - blood; Helicobacter Infections - drug therapy; Helicobacter pylori; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Metronidazole - administration & dosage; Metronidazole - therapeutic use; Organometallic Compounds - administration & dosage; Organometallic Compounds - therapeutic use; Other diseases. Semiology; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Human; Stomach; Spirillales; Spirillaceae; Eradication; Hypergastrinemia; Infection; Acids; Helicobacter pylori; Gastrin; Bacteria; Digestive diseases; Exocrine secretion
• ISSN: 0269-2813; 1365-2036
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.1991.tb00029.x

SUMMARY In a prospective study, eight young healthy subjects (five with an active H. pylori infection in the antral mucosa) were treated with a course of tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate, amoxycillin and metronidazole. The triple therapy eradicated infection when assessed 20–24 weeks later by antral biopsy (urease, histology, and 13C urea breath test [4 out of 5 subjects]). Twenty‐four hour intragastric acidity and plasma gastrin concentration were measured before treatment, and 4–6 weeks and 20–24 weeks post‐treatment. Treatment did not affect acidity in either the H. pylori‐positive or H. pylori‐negative groups, nor did it affect the plasma gastrin profile in the H. pylori‐negative group. Eradication of H. pylori infection in five subjects caused a drop of the median integrated 24‐hour plasma gastrin concentration from 558 pmol. h/L before treatment to 307 and 289 pmol.h/L at 4–6 and 20–24 weeks post‐treatment, respectively. It is concluded that H. pylori infection is associated with 24‐hour hypergastrinaemia, and that in apparently healthy subjects normal gastric physiology can be restored by eradication of the infection.