Breakdown of Barriers in Gastric Ulcer

Abstract

The cause of benign gastric ulcer has always been pretty much of a mystery. Acid-pepsin must play some part because chronic benign ulceration simply does not develop in a stomach totally incapable of secreting hydrochloric acid. Yet the capacity to secrete acid varies greatly among patients with gastric ulcer.¹ Although some are hypersecretors, most secrete normal or distinctly less than normal amounts of gastric acid, and some have an acid secretory capacity that is pitifully small. Thus, it seems reasonable to focus attention on gastric mucosal resistance to acid-pepsin rather than on acid-pepsin itself.The problem, of course, lies in . . .