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Pepsin concentration in gastroduodenal biopsy homogenates in chronic ulcer disease

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Abstract

A modification of Berstad's spectrophotometric method was tested and proved capable of detecting pepsin concentrations in mucosal perendoscopic biopsy homogenates. The relationship between this parameter and pepsin in gastric juice and pepsinogen group I in serum and in biopsy homogenates was analyzed. From the biochemical point of view, the assay was found sufficiently accurate. Mucosal pepsinogen group I, but not mucosal pepsin, concentration was found higher in gastric and duodenal ulcer patients than in controls. Patients with corpus-fundic gastric ulcer showed significantly lower mucosal pepsin and mucosal pepsinogen group (PG) I. Aging and smoking did not influence either parameter but male duodenal ulcer subjects presented higher mucosal pepsinogen group I concentration. The lack of any relationship between serum and mucosal PG I and between pepsin in gastric juice and in mucosa raises a question, at least in methodological terms, about the validity of using serum pepsinogen group I and pepsin as indicators of peptic output.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Istituto di Medicina Interna, Cattedra Malattie Apparato Digerente and the Cattedra di Biochimica Clinica, Università Degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy

    Fabio Vianello MD, Francesco Di Mario MD, Mario Plebani MD, Bastianello Germana MD, Pierluigi Dal Santo MD, Gioacchino Leandro MD, Paola Dotto MD, Stefano Andrea Grassi MD, Giuseppe Battaglia MD & Remo Naccarato MD

  2. I.R.C.C.S. “S. De Bellis,” Castellana Grotte, Bari, Italy

    Fabio Vianello MD, Francesco Di Mario MD, Mario Plebani MD, Bastianello Germana MD, Pierluigi Dal Santo MD, Gioacchino Leandro MD, Paola Dotto MD, Stefano Andrea Grassi MD, Giuseppe Battaglia MD & Remo Naccarato MD

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  1. Fabio Vianello MD
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  2. Francesco Di Mario MD
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  3. Mario Plebani MD
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  4. Bastianello Germana MD
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  5. Pierluigi Dal Santo MD
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  6. Gioacchino Leandro MD
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  7. Paola Dotto MD
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  8. Stefano Andrea Grassi MD
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  9. Giuseppe Battaglia MD
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  10. Remo Naccarato MD
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This study was performed under the auspices of the “R. Farini Foundation for Gastroenterological Research.”

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Vianello, F., Di Mario, F., Plebani, M. et al. Pepsin concentration in gastroduodenal biopsy homogenates in chronic ulcer disease. Digest Dis Sci 39, 301–308 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02090201

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02090201

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