Radioimmunoassay for serum gastrin in Singapore Chinese

Abstract

Fasting serum gastrin was determined by radioimmunoassay with the Dianabot kit (Tokyo) in 81 Chinese subjects. The mean fasting serum gastrin level in 43 duodenal ulcer patients (73 pg/ml) was higher than that in 18 control subjects (57 pg/ml) though the difference did not reach statistical significance. These levels fall within the range in Caucasians. The findings support the hypothesis that impaired auto-regulation of gastrin release in patients with duodenal ulcer by low antral pH is a contributing factor in duodenal ulcer diathesis. The mean fasting level in 19 gastric ulcer patients (68 pg/ml) was also higher than in the control subjects, but not significantly so. The infrequency of hypergastrinaemia in these gastric ulcer patients is probably due to associated antral gastritis.