Increased breath nitrous oxide after ingesting nitrate in patients with atrophic gastritis and partial gastrectomy

• Published in: Clinica chimica acta Vol. 345; no. 1; pp. 129 - 133
• Main Authors: Mitsui, Takahiro, Kondo, Takaharu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2004
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - metabolism; Atrophic gastritis; Breath nitrous oxide; Breath Tests; Female; Gastrectomy; Gastritis, Atrophic - diagnosis; Gastritis, Atrophic - metabolism; Humans; Lactuca - chemistry; Male; Middle Aged; Nitrate; Nitrates - pharmacokinetics; Nitrous Oxide - analysis; Nitrous Oxide - metabolism; Partial gastrectomy; Pepsinogen A - blood; Pepsinogen A - chemistry; Pepsinogen C - blood; Spectrophotometry, Infrared; Partial gastrectomy; Nitrate; Breath nitrous oxide; Atrophic gastritis
• ISSN: 0009-8981; 1873-3492
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cccn.2004.03.011

Background: Toxic nitrite and N-nitroso compounds due to gastric bacterial growth are often detected in the stomach of patients with atrophic gastritis and partial gastrectomy. The aim of this study is to investigate whether breath N 2O, a major metabolite of denitrification, detected after ingestion of nitrate is associated with atrophic gastritis and partial gastrectomy. Methods: Nine young, 16 normal older, nine atrophic gastritis and six partial gastrectomy subjects ingested 100 g lettuce, equal to 130 mg nitrate, and breath N 2O was measured at 15-min intervals for 5 h. N 2O was analyzed using an infrared-photoacoustic analyzer, and atrophic gastritis was diagnosed by pepsinogen test. Results: The mean breath N 2O concentrations were higher in the following order at all times: partial gastrectomy>atrophic gastritis>normal>young. The maximum N 2O concentrations in the patients with partial gastrectomy and atrophic gastritis were 1655±296 and 1350±200 (mean±S.E.) ppb, respectively, which were higher than that of the normal subjects, 827±91 ppb ( P<0.05). The maximum N 2O concentration in young people was 527±86 ppb, which was lower than that of the normal older people ( P<0.051). Conclusion: These higher N 2O concentrations in gastric patients reflect bacterial growth in the stomach due to the reduction of gastric acid.