Immunoreactive secretin release in patients after duodenectomy and partial or total pancreatectomy.

Seven patients were investigated 8--22 months after duodenectomy and pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis or cancer. Seven other patients, admitted for minor surgery, served as controls. 40 ml 100 mmol/l HCl was infused over 5 min into the jejunum 10 cm beyond the gastrojejunal stoma in the duodenectomized patients and 10 cm beyond the pylorus in the controls. Plasma immunoreactive secretin (IRS) increased from 3.0 +/- 0.8 pmol/l (mean +/- S.E.M.) to 9.8 +/- 0.5 pmol/l (p less than 0.01) in the duodenectomized patients. In the controls the increase was significantly higher than in the patients (p less than 0.01)--from 1.5 +/- 0.3 pmol/l to 19.5 +/- 3.3 pmol/l (p less than 0.01). The study shows that the jejunum is able to release IRS after acid infusion in duodenectomized patients.