CHRONOLOGICAL EFFECT OF HISTAMINE H₂ RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST RANITIDINE AS SERUM GASTRIN RESPONSE IN GASTRIC ULCER PATIENTS

Abstract

The effect of short and long-termly administrated ranitidine on serum gastrin response to the test meal was chronologically studied along the clinical course of therapy in 34 patients with gastric ulcer, 17 patients on the short-term and 17 on the long-term therapy respectively.
As the short-term therapy, ranitidine 150mg was administrated b.i.d. for 8 weeks in 17 patients with gastric ulcer (Group 1), and as the long-term therapy, one group (Group 2) was given ranitidine 150mg, s.i.d. in 6 and the other (Group 3) sucralfate 1.0g, b.i.d. in 11 patients with healed gastric ulcer respectively. The short-term therapy was continued for 8 weeks, then succeeding to the long-term therapy without any delay. Serum gastrin response to the test meal was repeated twice at 2 and 8 weeks of the short-term therapy in Group 1 and at 0 and 3 months of the long-term therapy in Group 2 and 3.
As the results, serum gastrin response was observed significantly increasing during the short-term therapy in Group 1, still increasing during the long-term therapy in Group 2. On the other hand, in Group 3, where ranitidine was withdrawn, gastrin response was observed decreasing back to the pre-treatment level. These results would suggest the possible relation of cause and effect between increased gastrin response level and high ulcer recurrence after the withdrawal of H₂ blocker ranitidine.