A comparison of basal and stimulated gastric acid and duodenal bicarbonate in patients with and without duodenal ulcer disease.

Basal gastric secretion and the maximum response to pentagastrin and basal secretion into the duodenumand its near-maximum response to secretin were measured in 20 control subjects and ten patients with duodenal ulcer disease. In control subjects the volumes of stimulated gastric and duodenal secretions were significantly correlated. In patients with duodenal ulcer, there were no significant correlations between basal gastric and duodenal secretion but after stimulation both volumes and outputs (but not concnetrations) of gastric and duodenal secretions were significantly correlated. The bicarbonate secretory capacity in patients with duodenal ulcer was not only normal but was also comparable to the gastric acid secretory capacity. The basal bicarbonate content of the duodenal aspirate, however, in patients with duodenal ulcer was only half that in control subjects, perhaps another example of inadequate entry of bicarbonate into the duodenum in patients with duodenal ulcer in spite of the normal bicarbonate secretory capacity.