91.   There was no significant difference in acid secretion between H pylori positive and negative subjects overall, or between H pylori positive and negative subjects without atrophy.

92.   There was no age related difference in acid secretion in old men without atrophy and young men, irrespective of H pylori status.

93.   The belief that acid secretion declines with advancing age has been widespread.

94.   Furthermore, the findings conflicted in that some studies did not show an age related decline in acid secretion.

95.   However, a decline in pentagastrin stimulated gastric acid secretion with age was seen in those subjects with superficial gastritis also.

96.   In another recent study, age was reported to have an independent positive effect on gastric acid secretion while H pylori infection had an independent negative effect.

97.   If this were true, it would suggest an attentuation of neural pathways mediating acid secretion or end organ resistance to stimulation.

98.   Thus, in health, there does not seem to be either an attenuation of secretory pathways mediating gastric acid secretion or end organ resistance to stimulation.

99.   The interactions of H pylori with gastrin release and gastric acid secretion are complex and seem to depend, in part, on the duration of infection.

100.   This hypergastrinaemia may account for the increased acid secretion seen in some duodenal ulcer patients and may be one mechanism whereby H pylori contributes to the ulcer diathesis.