Increased gastrin release in chronic calcifying pancreatitis and in chronic alcoholism

Plasma gastrin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay before and after a test meal associated with 40 ml ethanol in 21 patients presenting with chronic calcifying pancreatitis, in 10 apparently normal subjects drinking since at least 5 years 100 g alcohol a day, in 14 subjects presenting hepatic alcoholic cirrhosis and in 18 apparently normal non alcoholic controls. Post-stimulation gastrin concentration were higher in chronic pancreatitis patients or in normal alcoholics (peak post-stimulation value: 74 +/- 41 and 74 +/- 43 pg/ml respectively) than in cirrhotics or non alcoholic controls (45 +/- 26 and 41 +/- 15 pg/ml respectively) (m +/- SD).