Gastrin Level, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

Sample
- Collect the venous blood to prepare the serum.
- A fasting sample is taken (at least for 12 hours of fast).
- If the patient is not fasting then the values will be different.
- The lowest values are between 3.00 a.m to 7.00 a.m.
- Freeze the sample if not the test not done immediately.
Purpose of the test (Indications)
- Gastrin level basically done in hyperacidity conditions.
- This test is done to diagnose Zollinger Ellison syndrome.
- This test also diagnoses G – cell hyperplasia.
- This is done to diagnose gastrinoma.
Precautions
- A high protein diet can lead to an increase in the level of gastrin 2 to 5 times the normal level.
- Diabetic patients on insulin may give a false raised level of gastrin.
- Patients with surgery of stomach will have alkaline pH which is a strong stimulant to gastrin.
- Drugs like antacid, H2-blocker (cimetidine, ranitidine) and hydrogen pump inhibitor (Omeprazole) will increase the gastrin level.
- Anticholinergic and tricyclic antidepressant drugs decrease the gastrin level.
- Avoid alcohol at least for 24 hours.
Pathophysiology
- Gastrin is a hormone produced by the antral cells (G- cells) in the stomach mucosa.
- Other sources of production are G cell of the duodenum and delta cells of the pancreas.
- Gastrin exists in different forms like:
- Small gastrin has 17 amino acids polypeptide.
- large gastrin has 34 amino acid polypeptides.
- Mini gastrin has 14 amino acids.
- Gastrin is produced from the pregastrin which has 101 amino acids and it cleaves into gastrin.
- Gastrin from the three sources goes into circulation and then to the liver.
- From liver stimulates parietal cells to produce hydrochloric acid (HCl).
- Gastrin functions are:
- Stimulates gastric acid production (potent stimulator).
- Regulate antral motility.
- Control secretion of pepsin.
- control secretion of intrinsic factor.
- Secretion from the intestinal mucosa.
- Stimulate hepatic bile secretion.
- Secretion of pancreatic HCO3- and enzymes.
- Gastrin increases:
- Gastric Motility.
- Intestinal motility.
- Mucosa growth.
- Blood flow to the stomach.
- Gastrin secretion has diurnal variation.
- It’s the lowest value is 3 a.m to 7 a.m.
- Normal gastric physiology:
- when food enters the stomach it changes pH to alkaline.
- This alkaline pH stimulates gastrin secretion to produce acid from parietal cells.
- Now low pH stops further production of Gastrin.
- Secretion of gastrin:
- Maximal at Antral pH of 5 to 7.
- Reduced 80% at a pH of 2 to 5.
- Inhibited at pH of 1.
- Secretion of gastrin:
- Zollinger Ellison syndrome is a gastrin-producing tumor of pancreatic origin with a high serum level of gastrin.
- Zollinger-Elison syndrome is due to non-beta cell tumors of the pancreas which will produce a large amount of gastrin.
- G-cell hyperplasia leads to high serum gastrin levels.
- Above both condition(No 8 and 9) leads to an aggressive peptic ulcer.
- Gastrin level will be normal in the routine peptic ulcer.
- The Patient with antacid therapy or atrophic gastritis has a high level of gastrin.
- Gastrin stimulation test is done by giving calcium or secretin.
- Gastrin secretion stimuli are:
- Partially digested food.
- Alcohol, and caffeine.
- Insulin-induced hypoglycemia.
- The smell of food, swallowing, and chewing.
- Calcium.
- Amino acids like glycine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine.
- Pancreatic islet tumors (non-β cells) produce large amounts of gastrin.
- Gastrin values follow a circadian rhythm and fluctuate physiologically in relation to meals.
Normal
Source 1
Age | pg/mL |
Cord blood | 20 to 290 |
0 to 4 days | 120 to 183 |
Child | <10 to 125 |
!6 to 60 years | 25 to 90 |
>90 years | <100 |
Source 2
- Adult = 0 to 180 pg/mL or 0 to 180 ng/L.
Source 6
- Adult = 0 to 180 pg/mL (0 to 180 ng/L).
- Child = 0 to 125 pg/mL.
- Levels are higher in elderly patients.
Source 4
- Adult = <25 to 100 pg/mL (<12 to 48 pmol/L)
- Children = 10 to 125 pg/mL (5 to 60 pmol/L)
- Postprandial = 95 to 140 pg/mL (46 to 67 pmol/L)
Another source
- Children = 10 to 125 pg/mL.
- Postprandial = 95 to 140 pg/mL.
- Levels are higher in elderly patients.
Another source
- Child = <10 to 125 pg/mL
- Adult 16 to 60 yreas = 25 to 90 pg/mL.
- Over 60 years = <100 pg/mL.
Gastrin Level and its relation to diseases:
Gastrin level | Causes (Interpretations) |
>100 to <500 pg/mL | Pheochromocytoma |
Malignant carcinoma of the stomach | |
Peptic ulcer | |
Cirrhosis of the liver | |
Hyperthyroidism | |
Hyperparathyroidism | |
Renal failure | |
Rheumatoid arthritis | |
>500 to <1000 pg/mL | Pheochromocytoma |
Renal failure | |
Hyperparathyroidism | |
Zollinger Ellison syndrome | |
Pernicious anemia | |
>1000 pg/mL | Zollinger Ellison syndrome |
Pernicious anemia |
Increased gastrin level is seen in:
- Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
- G-cell hyperplasia.
- Atrophic gastritis.
- The retained antral portion after gastric surgery.
- Gastric carcinoma.
- Pyloric obstruction (gastric outlet obstruction)
- Gastric and duodenal ulcer.
- Chronic renal failure.
- Pernicious anemia.
- Vagotomy without gastric resection.
- Hyperparathyroidism.
Decreased Gastrin level is seen in:
- Hypothyroidism.
- Antrectomy with a vagotomy.
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
- Pathophysiology:
- This is a gastrin-producing pancreatic tumor.
- Non-beta cell tumors of the pancreas produce excessive gastrin.
- The G cells hyperplasia of the stomach can also give the picture of Zollinger Ellison syndrome.
- The patient has aggressive peptic ulcer disease.
- These patients have recurrence and complications.
- Signs and symptoms:
- These patients have multiple ulcers in the antrum, the duodenum, and even the jejunum.
- The ulcers are multiple.
- There is abdominal pain.
- There are burning and discomforts in the upper abdomen.
- There are acid reflux and heartburn.
- The patient may have diarrhea.
- The patient may have nausea and vomiting.
- The patient may have bleeding in the GI tract.
- The patient may weight loss and decreased appetite.
- The gastrin level is normal in the routine peptic ulcers.
- The gastrin level is normal in the routine peptic ulcer disease while it is high in Zollinger Ellison syndrome and the G – cell hyperplasia.
- The patients on antacid or peptic ulcer disease medicines, atrophic gastritis, and patients with peptic ulcer surgery have slightly raised gastrin levels.
- Diagnosis:
- Advise Gastrin stimulation test using calcium or secretin.
- The patients mostly have fasting gastrin levels>500 pg/mL or >500 ng/L.
- The gastrin level may reach 400,000 pg/mL.
- 90% of the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome patients have borderline gastrin fasting levels 100 to 500 pg/mL.
- and these patients will show an increase of 100 pg/mL above the baseline in response to secretin stimulation.
- Similar results are seen in patients with gastrinomas when calcium infusion test is given.