Oxygen free radicals and duodenal ulcer pain. Preliminary data

Starting from the hypothesis that duodenal ulcer pain is induced by oxygen free radicals, a process demonstrated in other types of bacterial or nonbacterial inflammations, we used a powerful scavenger of human origin in local periulcerous injections performed through endoscope in 12 patients with duodenal ulcer and active lasting pain. Pain subsided in all patients for a variable period of time. The results obtained plead for the involvement of oxygen free radicals in the mechanism of ulcer pain.