[Dynamics of endogenous bacterial nitrite formation in the stomach. 1. Follow-up studies in humans under natural conditions].

The fasting gastric secretion was analysed both bacteriologically and chemically in 15 young, voluntary test subjects with histories of a healthy stomach and physiological gastric secretion tests (Basal Acid Output, Peak Acid Output) made at regular intervals of two and 4 weeks over a period of three and six months. Two thirds of the persons studied showed during the entire period of examination the same pH values with tolerable variations and, as a result, the same order of magnitude for the total germ count, the colony count of the nitrite-forming bacteria and for the NO2- concentration. From this the conclusion can be drawn that, depending on the acidity of the individual stomach, there is an autonomous bacterial flora, which repeated examinations have shown to remain unaltered in quality and quantity. It was only in one third of the test persons that major variations of the pH values could be recorded occasionally. This, however, invariably led to corresponding changes in the bacteriological and chemical parameters. For requirements imposed by preventive medicine and hygiene, in future greater attention must be paid to the bacterial flora of the intact stomach, while making due allowance for the endogenous nitrite formation.