Effect of proximal gastric vagotomy on serum pepsinogen I and II concentrations and acid secretion in duodenal ulcer patients

Acid secretion and basal serum pepsinogen I and II concentrations were measured in 14 duodenal ulcer patients before and at intervals up to six years after proximal gastric vagotomy. Vagotomy led to significant and long-standing reductions in basal, vagally mediated (induced by sham feeding), and peak pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion. Serum pepsinogen I concentrations also decreased significantly after vagotomy but to a significantly lesser extent than acid secretion. There was no correlation between serum pepsinogen I concentrations and peak acid secretion, either before or after vagotomy. Serum pepsinogen II concentrations decreased only slightly and transiently after vagotomy. Thus, proximal gastric vagotomy reduces acid hypersecretion and pepsinogen I hypersecretion, but not pepsinogen II hypersecretion, in duodenal ulcer patients.