Melatonin production in patients with duodenal ulcer.
OBJECTIVES. This work was designed to study melatonin (M) production levels in duodenal ulcer (DU) patients in the exacerbation and remission stages and in DU patients with a different course of DU in the exacerbation and remission stages.


METHODS
DU patients (15 men aged 20 to 45, mean age 34,2 +/- 1,1 years) were studied. The control group included 11 healthy volunteers (men aged 20-45, mean age 32,5 +/- 1,4 years). M was measured by RIA-method using H(3)-labeled M in daily urine collected at 3-hour intervals (8 portions per day). Mathematical processing was carried out using ANOVA, Student's t-test, and cosinor analysis. Differences at p< or = 0,05 were considered to be significant.


RESULTS
A strong disturbance of M secretion in DU patients both in the exacerbation and remission stages and a direct correlation between the degree of M production disturbance and severity of clinical course of DU were revealed.


CONCLUSIONS
The obtained results suggest that circadian rhythms of M production are altered in DU patients. M was supposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of DU.
Malinovskaya
N
N
Scientific Center of Gastroenterology (Therapy), Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 5 Pogodinskaya St., 119881 Moscow, Russia. sirap@online.ru
Komarov
F I
FI
Rapoport
S I
SI
Voznesenskaya
L A
LA
Wetterberg
L
L
D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction
D008550:Melatonin