[Changes in the gastric mucosa of ulcer patients with a reflux syndrome]

To 254 patients with active peptic ulcer 302 esophageal and 438 gastric endoscopic biopsies were performed and studied histologically. The patients were classified into 2 groups with and without (control group) reflux syndrome. The histological examination established atrophic changes in the antral mucosa in 58.2 +/- 6.0% of the patients with active peptic ulcer and reflux syndrome and in 40.0 +/- 4.6% of the patients of the control group and reflux esophagitis in 46.8 +/- 5.6% of the patients with reflux vs 17.6 +/- 10.8% of the control patients. The significantly greater frequency of structural changes in the esophageal mucosa in the patients with active ulcer and reflux syndrome is related to the greater frequency of the atrophic changes in the antrum and the greater frequency of duodenogastric reflux in these patients. The role of the altered endogenous gastrin secretion and the disturbed antrum motility in the physiological function of the gastroesophageal segment is discussed.