Plasma gastrin responses to bombesin and antral gastrin concentrations in patients with the intestinal type of gastric cancer.

Mucosal atrophy of the gastric antrum (type B atrophic gastritis) is generally accepted as predisposing to the development of the intestinal type of gastric cancer. Since bombesin stimulates gastrin release selectively from the antral mucosa, the response can be used as a marker for antral mucosal atrophy. In this study we have investigated bombesin-stimulated plasma gastrin responses in 21 patients with the intestinal type of gastric cancer and we have compared the results with 12 patients with the diffuse type of gastric cancer, 17 patients with benign gastric ulcer, and 30 dyspeptic patients without endoscopical or histological abnormalities.