Antral gastrin cell hyperplasia in patients with peptic ulcer.

The total number of gastrin (G) cells in the stomach was determined by using a histologic counting method and planimetry in ulcerous and nonulcerous patients. The preoperative basal and postprandial serum gastrin values and the gastrin cell mass in the gastrectomy specimen could be compared in 16 surgical patients. There was a significant correlation between the integrated gastrin response to feeding and the total gastrin cell number in the stomach. No correlation was found between the basal serum gastrin level and the total gastrin cell count. A total gastrin cell number higher than 50 million was found in the stomach of three duodenal ulcer patients with preoperative postprandial hypergastrinemia as well as in one patient with normal serum gastrin values. Gastrin cell counts between 6 and 42 million were found in control stomachs and in patients with gastric ulcer. Preoperative feeding tests could be useful to select patients with an elevated antral G cell number.