Estimation of Maximal Gastric Acid Secretory Capacity after Augmented Histamine Stimulation

Abstract

One hundred and eighty-two patients with gastroduodenal diseases and 35 healthy subjects were examined with the augmented histamine test, and five normal volunteers were examined after maximal subcutaneous and intravenous histamine stimulation in a total of 43 tests and dose-response experiments. The different estimates of the maximal gastric acid output in the augmented histamine test and the histamine infusion test are compared. In clinical practice, the augmented histamine response, calculated from the 15-45-minute period of the augmented histamine test with subcutaneous stimulation, offers a valid, repeatable, and efficient estimate of the calculated maximal acid secretory capacity and the parietal cell mass, not surpassed by any other estimate, calculated from other 15-minute outputs or with use of other gastric secretory stimulants. It is recommended that the augmented histamine response calculated from the 15-45-minute period of the augmented histamine test with subcutaneous stimulation should be used in gastric secretory studies in clinical practice, making possible direct comparison of results in related studies from different centres.