Evaluation of electrical potential difference across gastric mucosa in patients with chronic gastritis according to site, histology, and degree of inflammation.

The electrical potential difference (PD) of gastric mucosa was measured under direct endoscopic visualization in 39 patients. Seventy-six observations were made, 39 in fundic mucosa and 37 in the antral region. Biopsies taken from these areas allowed the identification of a control group and a gastritis group. The PD measurements of the control group were higher in the fundic mucosa (P less than 0.001) than in the antral region. In the gastritis group, PD measurements both in the fundic and antral regions were lower than those of the control group (P less than 0.01). However, in the gastritis group, PD measurements of the fundic region were still higher (P less than 0.01) than the PD of the antral region. The correlation coefficient of PD measurements versus the semiquantitative assessment of oxyntic and chief cells of the fundus was r = 0.49 (P less than 0.01).