What is Gastrin?
Gastrin is the major hormone that regulates acid secretion in the stomach. It is produced by special cells in the stomach. Small amounts of gastrin may also be produced by the pancreas and possibly the intestines. When there is food in the stomach, gastrin is released into the blood. As stomach and intestinal acidity rises, gastrin production normally decreases. A laboratory test can be done to measure the amount of gastrin in the blood.
Alternative names
How the Test is Performed
Blood is typically drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood. Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm. Once the bloo...
What is Gastrin?
Gastrin is the major hormone that regulates acid secretion in the stomach. It is produced by special cells in the stomach. Small amounts of gastrin may also be produced by the pancreas and possibly the intestines. When there is food in the stomach, gastrin is released into the blood. As stomach and intestinal acidity rises, gastrin production normally decreases.
A laboratory test can be done to measure the amount of gastrin in the blood.
How to Prepare for the Test
Your health care provider will instruct you, if necessary, to discontinue drugs that may interfere with the test.
Drugs that can increase gastrin measurements include antacids, H2-blocking agents (such as cimetidine), and proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole).
How the Test Will Feel
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why the Test is Performed
Your doctor may order this test if you have signs or symptoms of a disorder associated with abnormal gastrin production.
Normal Results
Normal values are generally less than 100 pg/mL (picograms per milliliter).
Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
What Abnormal Results Mean
Too much gastrin causes severe peptic ulcer disease. Greater than normal levels may also be due to:
- Chronic atrophic gastritis
- G-cell hyperplasia (overactivity of gastrin-producing cells in the stomach)
- Use of antacids or other acid-suppressive medications
- Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, a gastrin-producing tumor that may develop in the stomach or pancreas
Risks
Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling light-headed
- Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
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Review Date: 10/24/2007
Reviewed By: Robert Hurd, MD, Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, and physician in the Primary Care Clinic, Cincinnati Veterans Administration Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.10/24/2007
