title: Functional study of the gastric mucosal barrier in hepatic cirrhosis.
abstract: The net ionic flux through the gastric wall was determined in eleven patients with hepatic cirrhosis and five normal controls. The back-diffusion of C1- and H+ was significantly increased in the cirrhotic group. In nine patients of this group the H+ loss was above the upper limits of normal. The Na+ flux was positive in both the control and the cirrhotic group. The Na+ flux towards the gastric cavity in the cirrhotic patients was not proportional to the loss of H+. Vasodilatation and edema of the lamina propria was always present as judged by gastric biopsy; in five cases mucosal hemorrhage was observed, in three superficial epithelial desquamation and in one melaena due to hemorrhagic gastritis. One the basis of the increase in H+ loss and the histological findings, we suspect an alteration in the gastric mucosal barrier in the patients with hepatic cirrhosis.
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D006859:Hydrogen; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium