Mutual correlation between levels of plasma beta-endorphin, bombesin and pancreatic polypeptide in healthy subjects and ulcer patients.

A lower level of beta-endorphin (BE) was demonstrated in patients with both acute and chronic duodenal ulcer (P less than 0.01), while the basal level of bombesin (BO) in such patients did not differ from that in healthy subjects. The basal pancreatic polypeptide (PP) level was higher in both groups of patients, primarily in those with acute ulcer (P less than 0.01). A significantly negative correlation (P less than 0.001) between the levels of BE and BO, and between those of BE and PP, was found in healthy subjects. Similar interrelation was absent in ulcer patients.