[The effect of degree of renal function damage on the levels of serum gastrin and gastric acid secretion].

Fasting serum gastrin concentrations and both basal and maximum-stimulated gastric acid secretory rates have been studied in 225 patients with various degrees of impairment of renal function and 42 healthy subjects. Basal gastrin concentrations in the chronic renal failure (CRF) patients were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in control subjects. When the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was used as an index of the degree of renal impairment serum gastrin rose proportionately with the degree of renal failure. Basal (BAO), maximal (MAO) and peak acid output (PAO) in the CRF patients were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in the control group. Both in the basal condition and during pentagastrin stimulation the CRF patients had low volume of gastric secretion. There was significant positive correlation between basal serum gastrin concentrations and the severity of renal damage. The basal serum gastrin concentration was inversely related to BAO, MAO and PAO in the CRF patients with severe impairment of renal functions. The results indicate that hypergastrinemia in CRF patients might be due to a combined effect of impaired renal catabolism of gastrin and overproduction of gastrin associated with hypochlorhydria. The present findings suggest that in CRF there are some unknown mechanisms that inhibit gastric secretion.