The effect of azathioprine on gastric mucosal histology and acid secretion in chronic gastritis.

Fourteen patients were selected with advanced superficial chronic gastritis (grade II), marked chronic gastritis with partial atrophy (grade III), or chronic gastritis with total atrophy in which intestinal metaplasia was observed (grade IV). Azathioprine was administrated to all of them for periods varying from two and a half to six months. There were no side effects except in one patient, in whom nausea and vomiting made it necessary to remove him from the trial. Acid output in these 14 patients showed an average change which was statistically significant.Statistical analysis of the sample as a whole shows that, with a 0.95 probability improvement could be expected in 37 to 85% of the patients given azathioprine.