1.   Intramucosal peptic activity may participate in the genesis of acute and chronic superficial gastritis.

2.   The peptic activity obtained in these aliquots was considered to represent pepsinogen concentration.

3.   Activated pepsinogen was calculated by subtracting pepsinogen from total peptic activity values.

4.   Significantly decreased antral total peptic activity was found in patients with H pylori positive gastritis compared with control, and H pylori negative gastritis.

5.   We found a significant difference in the antral mucosal peptic activity before and after treatment.

6.   Total peptic activity and activated pepsinogen of the antral mucosa increased after eradication of H pylori infection but remained lower than controls.

7.   Decreased peptic activity was present not only in the antral mucosa but also in the less affected mucosa of the gastric body.

8.   The dynamics and importance of H pylori reduced altered mucosal peptic activity is far from being clarified.