1.   In areas of intestinal metaplasia, gap junctions were occasionally seen between absorptive cells of the villi, but not in the lateral membranes of goblet cells.

2.   Intestinal metaplasia was seen in the biopsy specimens from eight patients with gastric ulcer.

3.   Intestinal metaplasia, achlorhydria, and the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds are suggested pathogenetic factors.

4.   The degree of intestinal metaplasia was classified as absent, incomplete, complete or mixed according to the criteria of Filipe and Jass.

5.   The presence of intestinal metaplasia was related to the tumour type.

6.   H pylori was particularly associated with the presence of intestinal metaplasia in both series.

7.   The expected association between antral tumours and intestinal metaplasia was also seen.

8.   Histology showed that significantly more miners than controls had acute on chronic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia.

9.   We were unable to subclassify the type of intestinal metaplasia in this study.