title: Melatonin production in patients with duodenal ulcer.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Center of Gastroenterology (Therapy), Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 5 Pogodinskaya St., 119881 Moscow, Russia. sirap@online.ru
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malinovskaya
authors.forename: F I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Komarov
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Rapoport
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Voznesenskaya
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wetterberg
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin