title: Comparison of 24-h control of gastric acidity by three different dosages of pantoprazole in patients with duodenal ulcer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is now clear that the extent to which gastric acid secretion must be suppressed varies with the clinical condition being treated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the 24-h control of gastric acidity and the individual response variability of three different doses of pantoprazole.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four duodenal ulcer patients were recruited for this prospective, randomized, multicentre, double-blind, parallel-group study. They were subdivided into three well-matched groups treated with 20 mg o.m., 40 mg o.m. and 40 mg b.d. of pantoprazole, respectively. Endoscopy and intragastric pH monitoring were performed in each patient before and after 14 days of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-five patients were eligible for final analysis (17 treated with 20 mg o.m., 18 with 40 mg o.m. and 20 with 40 mg b.d. pantoprazole). The ulcer crater healed in 94, 88 and 95% of cases, respectively. The three dosages of pantoprazole produced significant increases in gastric pH compared to basal levels (P < 0.0001). There was also a clear dose-dependent pharmacodynamic effect, which augmented on moving from the lowest dosage of 20 mg o.m. pantoprazole to the highest dosage of 40 mg b.d. (P < 0.01-0.001). The inter-individual response variability within the three treatment groups was more marked with the dose of 20 mg than with the two higher doses of pantoprazole.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All three doses of pantoprazole we tested are highly effective in decreasing gastric acidity and there is a clear dose-dependent pharmacodynamic effect on moving from the lowest to the highest dosage. The greatest inter individual variation in the degree of acid inhibition was seen with pantoprazole 20 mg o.m., while the majority of patients responded adequately to the two higher doses of the drug.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Università di Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Savarino
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Mela
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zentilin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bisso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pivari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vigneri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Termini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fiorucci
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Usai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malesci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Celle
mesh_terms: D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005745:Gastric Acidity Determination; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009853:Omeprazole / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077402:Pantoprazole; D013454:Sulfoxides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D013454:Sulfoxides; D000077402:Pantoprazole; D009853:Omeprazole