Quantitative Estimation of Parietal Cell Secretory Function in Man

With measurement of volume, acid, and intrinsic factor after maximal histamine stimulation the gastric secretory patterns in healthy persons and patients with duodenal ulcer, atrophic gastritis, and pernicious anaemia are described. In duodenal ulcer patients a higher than normal secretion of acid and intrinsic factor was found, but the secretory patterns in duodenal ulcer patients and healthy persons were identical, the essential difference being a higher secretory volume in duodenal ulcer patients corresponding to a greater but normally functioning parietal cell mass. In atrophic gastritis the gastric secretion of acid and intrinsic factor was decreased compared to that of healthy persons. The acid secretion was more reduced than the secretion of intrinsic factor, and the findings may indicate a dissociation between these parietal cell secretory components in hyposecretory states. In patients with pernicious anaemia an abolished parietal cell function was found.