Yonsei Med J.  2012 Nov;53(6):1154-1158. 10.3349/ymj.2012.53.6.1154.

The Relationship between Gastric Juice Nitrate/Nitrite Concentrations and Gastric Mucosal Surface pH

• Lee HK
• Kim H
• Kim HK
• Cho YS
• Kim BW
• Han SW
• Maeng LS
• Chae HS
• Kim HN

• KMID: 1414258
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2012.53.6.1154

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate gastric juice nitrate/nitrite concentration according to mucosal surface pH extent (area) of gastric corpus intimately contacting the gastric juice.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We included ninety-nine patients with dyspepsia. To evaluate gastric mucosal surface pH and its extent, gastric chromosocpy was performed by spraying phenol red dye on the corpus mucosa and estimating the extent of area with color changed. Nitrate/nitrite concentrations and pH of gastric juice were measured by ELISA and pH meter, respectively. Silver staining was done to histologically confirm the presence of Helicobacter pylori.
RESULTS
Intragastric nitrate/nitrite concentrations in patients, showing phenol red staining mucosa were higher than those of unstaining mucosa (p=0.001): the more extensive in the area of phenol red staining area of corpus, the higher gastric juice pH found (r=0.692, p<0.001). Furthermore, the intragastric nitrate/nitrite concentrations correlated positively with gastric juice pH (r=0.481, p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
The changes of mucosal surface pH and its extent in gastric corpus might affect either pH or nitrate/nitrite level of gastric juice.

Keyword

Nitrate/nitrite; gastric mucosa surface pH; gastric juice pH; chromoscopy; Helicobacter pylori

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Dyspepsia/*metabolism/microbiology
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Female
Gastric Juice/*metabolism
Gastric Mucosa/*metabolism/microbiology
Helicobacter pylori/isolation & purification
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Male
Middle Aged
Nitrates/*metabolism
Nitrites/*metabolism
Young Adult

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Nitrates/nitrite levels in gastric juice according to phenol red staining pattern in the corpus. 0: unstained, 1: patchy stained, 2: regional stained, 3: diffuse stained. The top and bottom of the box indicate the 25th and 75th percentile, respectively; the middle line indicates the median measured in each group (p=0.003).

• 

  Fig. 2 Nitrate/nitrite levels in gastric juice according to phenol red staining in the corpus. The top and bottom of the box indicate the 25th and 75th percentile, respectively; the middle line indicates the median measured in each group. *p=0.001 PR+ vs. PR- group.

• 

  Fig. 3 The correlation between pH of gastric juice and phenol red staining patterns in the corpus (r=0.692, p<0.001). 0: unstaining pattern, 1: patch staining, 2: regional staining, 3: diffuse staining.

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