[Total peptic activity in gastric juice in patients with duodenal ulcer. Variations in relation to age and role of Helicobacter pylori].

The aim of this study was to evaluate total peptic activity in gastric juice in duodenal ulcer patients in relation to age and Helicobacter pylori infection. In duodenal ulcer patients peptic activity increases significantly in comparison to normal subjects. In relation to age there is no variation. Therefore, gastric secretion has an autonomous behaviour independently of any physiological variation in healthy subjects. Helicobacter pylori infection is present in 89.4% of duodenal ulcer patients. The bacterium infection does not imply a significant increase of peptic activity in gastric juice. Its lesive action is therefore not attributable to a modification of peptic activity, but it is due to its direct action on gastric metaplasia in the duodenum.