Gastric hypochlorhydria is associated with an exacerbation of dyspeptic symptoms in female patients

Autoimmune Atrophic Gastritis: A Clinical Review

Autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG) is a chronic condition characterized by the presence of atrophy in the oxyntic mucosa due to anti-parietal cell antibodies. This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of autoimmune atrophic gastritis, reporting recent evidence on epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, clinical presentation, risk of malignancies, and management. The prevalence of AAG has been estimated at between 0.3% and 2.7% in the general population. The diagnosis of AAG is based on a combination of the serologic profile and the histological examination of gastric biopsies. Patients with AAG are often asymptomatic but can also have dyspeptic or reflux symptoms. The atrophy of the oxyntic mucosa leads to iron and vitamin B12 malabsorption, which may result in anemia and neurological affections. Autoimmune atrophic gastritis is associated with an increased risk of type I neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and gastric cancer, with an incidence rate of 2.8% and 0.5% per person/year, respectively. Management is directed to reinstate vitamins and iron and to prevent malignancies with endoscopic surveillance. In conclusion, atrophic autoimmune gastritis is an infrequent condition, often asymptomatic and misdiagnosed, that requires an early diagnosis for appropriate vitamin supplementation and endoscopic follow-up for the early diagnosis of NETs and gastric cancer.

Creating a Framework for Treating Autoimmune Gastritis-The Case for Replacing Lost Acid

Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is characterized by the destruction of gastric parietal cells, resulting in hypochlorhydria and eventual achlorhydria, as oxyntic glands in the corpus are destroyed and become atrophic. The permanent loss of gastric acid has many impacts-both theoretical and documented. The most concerning of these are hypergastrinemia and increased N-nitroso compounds, both of which increase the risk of gastric cancers. While known deficiencies of B12 and iron are often replaced in AIG, acid is not. Moreover, patients with AIG are often prescribed acid suppression for a stomach that is decidedly no longer acidic, worsening the sequelae of gastric atrophy. Betaine hydrochloride (BHCL) is a short-acting acidifying agent, available over the counter in capsule form. Mealtime acid supplementation has an historic basis and could ameliorate many AIG-related gastrointestinal symptoms. Theoretically, acidification could also reduce the potential for hypergastrinemia and the production of N-nitroso compounds, consequently reducing the risk of gastric cancers. Supplemental vitamin C may also help in preventing gastric N-nitroso formation, regardless of the gastric pH. This narrative review describes the functions of gastric acid in gastrointestinal and immune health, documents the effects of hypochlorhydria in AIG, and proposes potential options for safely re-establishing the acid milieu of the stomach for patients with AIG.

Management of upper gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with autoimmune gastritis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Autoimmune gastritis is characterized by atrophy of acid secreting parietal cells resulting in achlorhydria. Upper gastrointestinal symptoms are common in autoimmune gastritis and frequently result in prescriptions for acid suppressant medications despite the inability of the stomach to secrete acid. Evidence-based recommendations for management of gastrointestinal symptoms in autoimmune gastritis are lacking.

RECENT FINDINGS

The most common symptoms in patients with autoimmune gastritis are dyspepsia, heartburn, and regurgitation. Gastroesophageal reflux should be confirmed by pH-impedance testing and is typically weakly acid or alkaline. Therapy for reflux focuses on mechanical prevention of reflux (i.e., elevation of the head of the bed and alginates) or when severe, antireflux surgery. The etiology of dyspepsia in autoimmune gastritis is unclear and largely unstudied. In the first half of the 20th century, oral administration of acid to "aid digestion" was widely used with reported success. However, randomized, placebo-controlled trials are lacking. Here, we provide suggestions for attempting gastric acidification therapy.

SUMMARY

Upper GI symptoms are common in autoimmune gastritis. Their pathogenesis and therapy remain incompletely understood. Acid suppressant medications are useless and should be discontinued. A trial of acid replacement therapy is recommended especially in the form of placebo-controlled trials.

Proton pump inhibitors long term use-trends and patterns over 15 years of a large health maintenance organization

BACKGROUND

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are used for a variety of indications. Despite reported associations with undesirable effects, their long-term use is on the rise, while appropriate indications, dose, and treatment duration may deviate from guideline recommendations.

OBJECTIVES

Primary to examine the annual patterns of PPI use. Secondary- to assess indications for initiating PPI treatment, long-term use, and factors associated with long-term use in a large Israeli health maintenance organization.

METHODS

A historical cohort study of 528 420 eligible PPI users during 2000-2015, analyzed PPI use using defined daily doses and the proportion of patients covered method. Data on indications for treatment initiation, clinical and socio-demographic parameters were captured as well. A multivariable logistic-regression model was used to identify factors associated with long-term use of PPI.

RESULTS

The annual incidence rates of patients initiating PPI treatment were relatively constant, ranging between 2.4% and 3.1% of the adult population, with a monotonic increase in annual consumption and prevalence (reaching 12.7% in 2015). Reflux, functional symptoms, and Helicobacter pylori eradication were the most common indications for initiating PPI therapy. However, 27% of patients had no recorded indication for treatment. Fifteen percent of patients used PPI for over 6 months, especially in older age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Utilization of PPI increases steadily, mainly due to chronic use. Prolonged consumption is associated with specific clinical indications and older age. Health organizations should encourage awareness of appropriate use among physicians, specifically in the elderly, patients with reflux, and those with functional disorders.

Helicobacter pylori infection and hypochlorhydria in Zambian adults and children: A secondary data analysis

Background

Hypochlorhydria (gastric pH >4) increases susceptibility to diarrhoea, iron deficiency, and gastric cancer. We sought to clarify the prevalence of this condition and its predisposing factors in Zambia by pooling data from previous studies conducted in hospital and community settings.

Methods

Gastric pH was measured in participants from five separate studies by collecting gastric aspirate from fasted adults and children under 3 years of age undergoing gastroscopy. Gastric pH was correlated with serological testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections.

Results

We studied 597 individuals (487 adults and 110 children). Hypochlorhydria was present in 53% of adults and 31% of children. HIV infection was detected in 41% of adults and 11% of children. H. pylori serology was available for 366 individuals: 93% of adults and 6% of children were seropositive. In univariate analysis, hypochlorhydria was significantly associated with HIV seropositivity (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.2–2.4; p = 0.004) and H. pylori antibody seropositivity (OR 4.9; 95% CI 2.8–8.6; p<0.0001), and with advancing age in HIV negative individuals (p = 0.0001). In multivariable analysis, only H. pylori was associated with hypochlorhydria (OR 4.0; 95% CI 2.2–7.2; p<0.0001) while excluding possible exposure to proton pump inhibitors.

Conclusions

Hypochlorhydria is common in our population, with H. pylori being the dominant factor. Only young HIV seronegative individuals had a low prevalence of hypochlorhydria. This may have implications for the risk of other health conditions including gastric cancer.

Efficacy of acotiamide on postprandial distress syndrome and epigastric pain syndrome depending on the estimated gastric acid secretion level

Background/Aims

Gastric acid secretion is suspected to be a pivotal contributor to the pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia. The present study investigates the potential association of the gastric acid secretion estimated by measuring serum pepsinogen with therapeutic responsiveness to the prokinetic drug acotiamide.

Methods

Dyspeptic patients consulting participating clinics from October 2017 to March 2019 were prospectively enrolled in the study. The dyspeptic symptoms were classified into postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) and epigastric pain syndrome (EPS). Gastric acid secretion levels were estimated by the Helicobacter pylori infection status and serum pepsinogen using established criteria and classified into hypo-, normo-, and hyper-secretion. Each patient was then administered 100 mg acotiamide thrice daily for 4 weeks, and the response rate to the treatment was evaluated using the overall treatment efficacy scale.

Results

Of the 86 enrolled patients, 56 (65.1%) and 26 (30.2%) were classified into PDS and EPS, respectively. The estimated gastric acid secretion was not significantly different between PDS and EPS. The response rates were 66.0% for PDS and 73.1% for EPS, showing no significant difference. While the response rates were stable, ranging from 61.0% to 75.0% regardless of the estimated gastric acid secretion level among subjects with PDF, the rates were significantly lower in hyper-secretors than in non-hyper-secretors among subjects with EPS (42.0% vs 83.0%, P = 0.046).

Conclusion

Although acotiamide is effective for treating EPS as well as PDS overall, the efficacy is somewhat limited in EPS with gastric acid hyper-secretion, with gastric acid suppressants, such as proton pump inhibitors, being more suitable.

The Usefulness of Symptom-based Subtypes of Functional Dyspepsia for Predicting Underlying Pathophysiologic Mechanisms and Choosing Appropriate Therapeutic Agents

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is considered to be a heterogeneous disorder with different pathophysiological mechanisms or pathogenetic factors. In addition to traditional mechanisms, novel concepts regarding pathophysiologic mechanisms of FD have been proposed. Candidates of therapeutic agents based on novel concepts have also been suggested. FD is a symptom complex and currently diagnosed by symptom-based Rome criteria. In the Rome criteria, symptom-based subtypes of FD including postprandial distress syndrome and epigastric pain syndrome are recommended to be used, based on the assumption that each subtype is more homogenous in terms of underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms than FD as a whole. In this review, the usefulness of symptombased subtypes of FD for predicting underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms and choosing appropriate therapeutic agents was evaluated. Although several classic pathophysiologic mechanisms are suggested to be associated with individual dyspeptic symptoms, symptom-based subtypes of FD are not specific for a certain pathogenetic factor or pathophysiologic mechanism, and may be frequently associated with multiple pathophysiologic abnormalities. Novel concepts on the pathophysiology of FD show complex interactions between pathophysiologic mechanisms and pathogenetic factors, and prediction of underlying mechanisms of individual patients simply by the symptom pattern or symptom-based subtypes may not be accurate in a considerable proportion of cases. Therefore, subtyping by the Rome criteria appears to have limited value to guide therapeutic strategy, suggesting that the addition of objective parameters or subclassification reflecting physiologic or pathologic tests may be necessary for the targeted therapeutic approaches, particularly when therapeutic agents targeting novel mechanisms are available.

Assessment of gastric acidity by short-duration intragastric pH-monitoring with standardised breakfast in functional and some other dyspepsias

Introduction

Preliminary assessment of gastric secretion in the treatment of organic and functional dyspepsia may offer advantages over the empirical administration of proton pump inhibitors suggested by most clinical guidelines.

Aim

To develop a simplified pH-metric test with standardised meal, and on its basis to perform an assessment of the functional state of gastric secretion in the most common dyspepsias.

Material and methods

Serum pepsinogen 1 and 2 were used for reference. Intragastric pH-monitoring was performed during 45 min in basal phase and 135 min after provocative breakfast (507 kcal, 100 mg caffeine). Consecutive adults enrolled in the study were divided into groups: 1 – “Non-dyspeptic” – 30 persons; 2 – “Duodenal peptic ulcer” – 13; 3 – “GERD” – 82; and 4 – “Functional dyspepsia” – 125 patients.

Results

There was a moderate association between concentration of pepsinogen-1 and parameters of pH-monitoring. The best correlation coefficients were for the nadir pH in basal conditions and the time of acid neutralisation > 3.5 after the meal – r = –0.534 and r = –0.541, respectively (p < 0.0001). Using these two parameters we considered discriminants for four patterns of acidity. Proposed criteria of Hipo-anacidity included an absence of active secretion of hydrochloric acid in basal (pHmin > 5) and postprandial phases, with the achievement of stable pH < 3.5 after 80 min from meal time. They showed sensitivity 88.9% and specificity 100%. In cases of a detected pattern of hyperacidity, these parameters were 80% and 66.67%, respectively. According to the prevalence of hyperacidic cases, the groups were ranked in the following order: duodenal ulcer (76.9%) – GERD (51.1%) – functional dyspepsia (40.8%) – non-dyspeptic (19.0%).

Conclusions

Acid production is increased among patients with functional dyspepsia. There is a small number of patients with functional dyspepsia (12.1%) with hypochlorhydria due to atrophic gastritis. The latter was independently associated with age > 50 years (OR = 20.139), symptoms of postprandial distress-syndrome (OR = 9.821), and signs of atrophy (OR = 5.914) after conventional endoscopy.

Factors Related to Upper Gastrointestinal Symptom Generation in 2275 Helicobacter pylori Seroprevalent Adults

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) symptoms are common; however, the role of Helicobacter pylori and gastric corpus atrophy in the generation of these symptoms is controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for UGI symptoms in adults in an endemic area of H. pylori infection.

METHODS

Korean adults who completed questionnaires on the day of serum anti-H. pylori IgG and pepsinogen (PG) assays before UGI endoscopy were included. Gastric corpus atrophy was based on the criteria of a serum PG I/II ratio <3.0 and a PG I <70 ng/ml.

RESULTS

Of the 2275 included subjects, 723 (31.8%) had at least one UGI symptom. A total of 374 (16.4%) subjects had multiple symptoms without significant correlations between the symptoms (λ < 0.2). The H. pylori serology assay was positive in 1382 (60.7%) subjects, and gastric corpus atrophy was present in 291 (12.8%). Neither H. pylori seropositivity (p = 0.077) nor gastric corpus atrophy (p = 0.138) was related to the presence of UGI symptoms. Female gender and smoking were independent risk factors for heartburn and upper abdominal pain (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, female gender was the only independent risk factor for multiple UGI symptoms (p < 0.001), globus sensation (p < 0.001), early satiety (p < 0.001), epigastric soreness (p = 0.001), and chest discomfort (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

In an H. pylori seroprevalent population, female gender is the most common risk factor followed by smoking for UGI symptom generation. Neither H. pylori seropositivity nor gastric corpus atrophy is an independent risk factor for UGI symptom generation.

Upper gastrointestinal symptoms in autoimmune gastritis: A cross-sectional study

Autoimmune gastritis is often suspected for its hematologic findings, and rarely the diagnosis is made for the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Aims of this cross-sectional study were to assess in a large cohort of patients affected by autoimmune gastritis the occurrence and the pattern of gastrointestinal symptoms and to evaluate whether symptomatic patients are characterized by specific clinical features.Gastrointestinal symptoms of 379 consecutive autoimmune gastritis patients were systematically assessed and classified following Rome III Criteria. Association between symptoms and anemia pattern, positivity to gastric autoantibodies, Helicobacter pylori infection, and concomitant autoimmune disease were evaluated.In total, 70.2% of patients were female, median age 55 years (range 17-83). Pernicious anemia (53.6%), iron deficiency anemia (34.8%), gastric autoantibodies (68.8%), and autoimmune disorders (41.7%) were present. However, 56.7% of patients complained of gastrointestinal symptoms, 69.8% of them had exclusively upper symptoms, 15.8% only lower and 14.4% concomitant upper and lower symptoms. Dyspepsia, subtype postprandial distress syndrome was the most represented, being present in 60.2% of symptomatic patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that age <55 years (OR 1.6 [CI:1-2.5]), absence of smoking habit (OR 2.2 [CI:1.2-4]), and absence of anemia (OR 3.1 [CI:1.5-6.4]) were independent factors associated to dyspepsia.Autoimmune gastritis is associated in almost 60% of cases with gastrointestinal symptoms, in particular dyspepsia. Dyspepsia is strictly related to younger age, no smoking, and absence of anemia.

Association of the Extent of Atrophic Gastritis With Specific Dyspeptic Symptoms

BACKGROUND/AIMS

It remains unclear whether atrophic gastritis can affect dyspeptic symptoms. We aimed to investigate whether the extent of atrophic gastritis is associated with specific dyspeptic symptoms.

METHODS

Consecutive adults in a routine health-checkup program were enrolled in the study. The extent of atrophic gastritis was classified into 3 groups based on the Kimura-Takemoto criteria; the gastritis with no or little atrophy (group A: C0), the gastritis with atrophy mainly in the antrum (group B: C1 and C2), and the gastritis with atrophy in the large area of the corpus (group C: C3 and O). Upper gastrointestinal symptoms were categorized into "typical reflux symptoms," "epigastric pain syndrome (EPS)-related symptoms," and "postprandial distress syndrome (PDS)-related symptoms."

RESULTS

A total of 1827 patients (1009 males, mean age 45.1 years) were included in the analysis. The subgroups of atrophic gastritis were as follows: group A (n = 1218, 66.7%), group B (n = 392, 21.4%), and group C (n = 217, 11.9%). Typical reflux, EPS-related, and PDS-related symptoms were present in 10.5%, 19.8%, and 16.2% of the subjects, respectively. PDS-related and EPS-related symptoms were significantly more prevalent in the group C of male patients and the group B of female patients, respectively, compared with other groups. PDS-related and EPS-related symptoms were independently associated with the group C in males (OR, 2.123; 95% CI, 1.090-4.136) and the group B in females (OR, 2.571; 95% CI, 1.319-5.025), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The extent of atrophic gastritis appears to affect the generation of specific dyspeptic symptoms in a gender-dependent manner.

No increase in gastric acid secretion in healthy Japanese over the past two decades

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been increasing worldwide over recent decades. A previous study demonstrated that gastric acid secretion, thought to be an important factor in the increase in the rate of GERD, in Japanese individuals increased in the era from the 1970s to the 1990s. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether gastric acid secretion has altered over the past two decades with and without the influence of Helicobacter pylori infection in nonelderly and elderly Japanese.

METHODS

Gastric acid secretion, the concentrations of serum gastrin, pepsinogen I, and pepsinogen II, and H. pylori infection were determined in 78 healthy Japanese subjects. The findings were compared with data obtained in the 1990s.

RESULTS

Basal acid output (BAO) and maximal acid output (MAO) gradually decreased with age in H. pylori-negative subjects. In addition, those with H. pylori infection tended to show decreased gastric acid secretion as compared with those without infection, particularly in the elderly group. MAO decreased gradually with age in males, whereas it remained unchanged with age in females. MAO in H. pylori-negative subjects has not changed over the past two decades (17.7 mEq/h vs 17.6 mEq/h in nonelderly subjects, and 15.2 mEq/h vs 12.7 mEq/h in elderly subjects).

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to the increased prevalence of GERD, gastric acid secretion has not increased over the past two decades in Japanese. However, secretion has decreased with age in males but not in females, which may partly explain the sex difference in the age-related GERD prevalence.

Endoscopic findings for predicting gastric acid secretion status

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Gastric acidic abnormalities are related to various types of diseases in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection status. However, no studies have shown correlations between many tiny endoscopic findings and the acid secretion level simultaneously. In the present study, we investigated predictive tiny endoscopic findings of hyperchlorhydria and hypochlorhydria.

METHODS

A total of 223 subjects without organic diseases who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and endoscopic gastrin test (EGT) for estimating gastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretory response between 1999 and 2012 at our institution were retrospectively analyzed. Two blinded expert endoscopists reviewed the images independently and recorded the endoscopic findings.

RESULTS

According to the EGT values, the enrolled subjects were categorized into hyperchlorhydria, normal acid secretion, and hypochlorhydria groups. In all subjects, hematin (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 3.32 [1.40-7.84]) and antral erosion(2.88 [1.24-6.70]) were the predictive endoscopic findings for hyperchlorhydria, and swelling of areae gastricae (14.4 [5.74-36.1]) and open-type atrophy (15.1 [7.35-31.1]) were those for hypochlorhydria. In addition, the predictive endoscopic findings for hyperchlorhydria differed according to the H. pylori infection status, hematin in H. pylori-positive subjects and antral erosion in H. pylori-negative subjects, in contrast to those for hypochlorhydria, which were the same irrespective of the H. pylori infection status.

CONCLUSIONS

We could predict the acid secretion status based on the endoscopic findings regardless of H. pylori infection status, which would be of some help for evaluating the risk for acid-related diseases.