[Effect of microcrystalline cellulose on alkaline gastritis due to bile reflux]

Biliary acids present in gastric content due to a duodena-gastric reflux have been blamed for attacking the gastric mucosa through detergent action on the defensive barrier. This harmful action produces an inflammatory lesion on this mucosa, resulting in a chronic gastritis which is clinically expressed by epigastric pain, heartburn and vomits of biliar aspect among other symptoms, and it has constituted a clinical entity named Alcaline Gastritis by Duodenal-gastric Reflux, more recently, Reactive Gastritis according to the Sydney System. Among dietetic fibers, cellulose has been reported in recent investigations as most active in capturing and inactivating biliary acids: this constitutes a cytoprotective action on the stomach mucosa of patients who suffer this pathology. Concerning these aspects, we studied 50 patients with alcaline gastritis, excluding those who have H. pylori. The patients were diagnosed by endoscopy studies, dosage of total biliary acids in gastric content and biopsy and were divided into two groups of 25 subjects each. The first group (A) received powdered corn starch and the second group (B) powdered microcrystalline cellulose dosed 5 g/day during three months. The results showed that total biliary acids in gastric content decreased at the end of treatment mostly in patients treated with microcellulose, even though there was no statistical significance. From the clinical view point of vue, there was a highly satisfactory response in pain, vomits and heartburn after microcellulose treatment. The endoscopic inflammatory located in the antral region and diffusely, in the whole gastric mucosa, quantitatively improved and there was a significant difference in the antral location. The histological findings at the end of the treatment in either group showed no evolutive variation in the comparative study of the lesions found at the beginning of the treatment. Results are shown in tables.