THE DIAGNOSTIC VALUE·OF DETERMINATIONS OF PEPSIN IN GASTRIC JUICE

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Abstract
The concentration and total output of pepsin were studied in 40 determinations on 36 patients, 21 essentially normal, 5 with duodenal ulcer, 1 with gastric ulcer, 5 with gastric cancer, 2 with pernicious anemia, 1 with sprue and 2 with unexplained anacidity. In normals the maximum 10-min. volume of stomach juice digested from 16,900 mgm. to 112,400 mgm. of edestin. The ulcer cases fell within the same general range. In pernicious anemia, cancer of the stomach, and severe gastritis, the pepsin output was diminished, in some cases to extremely small amounts, but in only 1 case was pepsin completely undemonstrable. No correlation was found between pepsin output and acidity and it is suggested that the secretory mechanisms of the 2 are independent. Finally, it seems that very low pepsin output is a more delicate index of gastric damage than low acid values.

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