Relationship between gastric mucosal pH and site of peptic ulceration.

Measurements of mucosal pH of resected stomachs were carried out in gastric and duodenal ulcer patients. Low mucosal pH along the lesser curvature and relatively higher gastric pepsin levels were found. It is suggested that this lower pH affects gastric ulcer occurrence in the limited "lesser curvature area" where 63 per cent of the ulcers were situated. It is also suggested that increased pepsin activity present in gastric ulcer patients may be another factor affecting gastric ulcer formation by virtue of pepsins activated at higher pH. In duodenal ulcer patients, these factors are "overshadowed" by high acid-pepsin secretory activity of gastric juice.