Influence of aging, gastric mucosal atrophy and dietary habits on gastric secretion.
OBJECTIVE
Studies in Japan have reported on the association between gastric secretion and age with consideration given to gastric mucosal atrophy but not pepsin secretion. Though recent reports have shown enhanced gastric secretion in the Japanese, attributed to dietary westernization, the association between diet and gastric secretion is not clear. In this study, the association between gastric secretion and mucosal atrophy, age, and dietary habits was evaluated.


METHODS
The subjects were 47 preoperative patients without upper gastrointestinal disorders. Acid secretion, pepsin secretion, serum pepsinogen level, and serum Helicobacter pylori antibody titer were measured. Dietary habits were investigated by questionnaire.


RESULTS
Gastric secretion did not differ among the young, middle, and elderly age groups. Compared with the group without atrophy (pepsinogen I/II > 3.0, 32 subjects), the group with atrophy (I/II < or = 2.5, 11 subjects) showed significantly decreased gastric secretion and a significantly high Helicobacter pyloriseropositive rate. In the group without atrophy, acid and pepsin secretion was significantly correlated with energy intake, pepsin secretion was significantly correlated with glucose intake, and gastric secretion tended to increase with age.


CONCLUSIONS
In the absence of gastric mucosal atrophy, gastric secretion does not decrease with age, and is related to dietary habits.
Nakamura
Kenji
K
Department of Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan. nakaken@is.ioc.u-tokai.ac.jp
Ogoshi
Kyoji
K
Makuuchi
Hiroyasu
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000378:metabolism; D020115:Pepsinogen C / Q000378:metabolism
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D020115:Pepsinogen C; D020116:Pepsinogen A