GASTRIN IN SERUM AND MORPHOLOGICAL STATE OF GASTRIN-SECRETING CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH GASTRIC POLYPOSIS

Abstract

Objective. Numerous studies regarding gastric hormones and their regulation have been performed until now. However, the effect of the hormones on the formation and malignisation of gastric polyps still remains not clear. Our aim was to identify the relation between the level of gastrin in the blood, gastric mucosa, polyp tissue, gastric juice and pathogenesis of gastric polyposis. Materials and methods. A thorough investigation of gastrointestinal hormones in serum and gastric juice, in polyp’s tissue and mucosa, gastrin-secreting cells and proteolytic activity of gastric juice was carried out in 40 patients with gastric polyps. These patients were divided into groups, depending on the location, number, and malignancy of the polyps. As a control group, 10 healthy individuals were used to determine the normal values of the studied indicators. Results: A significant increase (more than two times) in the gastrinemia level before the surgery was noted in patients with polyp recurrence, and gastrin level increased to more significant digits of 227.0+37.4 pg/ml (p<0.05) in one year after polypectomy. Conclusion. Gastrin is apparently involved in the process of polyp formation since polyp’s growth is accompanied by elevation of serum gastrin. This is confirmed by a response of gastrin in the blood to a test meal in individuals with different duration of the disease: a marked increase in gastrinemia appears in patients suffering from gastric polyposis for more than three years. Therefore, evaluation of gastrin level in the patients’ blood can be used to predict a recurrence potential of polyps. This is evidenced by more pronounced hypergastrinemia before polypectomy in patients who had a further recurrence of the disease within one year after the surgery