phenylthiourea and Peptic-Ulcer

Ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide is genetically determined and has been investigated as a possible genetic marker for disease. This study examined phenylthiocarbamide taste sensitivity in gastric and duodenal ulcer disease. The study sample included 164 patients with gastric ulcer, 134 with duodenal ulcer, and 299 community controls. Eight concentrations of phenylthiocarbamide in distilled water were obtained by binary serial dilution. The lowest concentration distinguished by taste from distilled water defined taste threshold. Bimodality of threshold distributions distinguished nontasters from tasters. Comparisons of patients with controls gave odds ratios of nontaste in gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer of, respectively, 0.7 (P greater than 0.1) and 1.3 (P greater than 0.03). The power of detecting at least a twofold difference between patients and controls in the odds of nontaste was 80%. Nontaste was more common in duodenal than in gastric ulcer patients (odds ratio = 2.0, P = 0.02). Taste sensitivity was unassociated with other genetic factors related to ulcer--ABO blood group, secretor status, and serum pepsinogen 1 level. The difference between gastric and duodenal ulcer patients in the ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide may be genetic; however, this study's inability, despite substantial power, to detect at least a twofold difference between patients and controls suggests that if phenylthiocarbamide taste sensitivity is a genetic factor in peptic ulcer, the relationship is weak.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blood Group Antigens; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pepsinogen A; Pepsinogens; Peptic Ulcer; Peptide Fragments; Phenylthiourea; Radioimmunoassay; Reproducibility of Results; Sensory Thresholds; Smoking; Taste

The research of distribution of blood group ABO, Rhesus, Lewis, Secretor, C5+-component of choline esterase and the ability to taste PTC among Moscow population patients suffering from duodenal ulcer is carried out in comparison with the control. Statistically authentic association of the disease with 0(I) blood group, unsecretor and the association of joint signs (coefficients of association are 1.32, 2.17 and 2.62 respectively) is found. Authenticity of relation with disease is not proved during the investigation of other signs. The values of risk to fall ill for the patients possessing and not possessing the signs of duodenal ulcer are obtained (concerning separate factors and joint factors). It is established that the combination of 0(I) blood group and unsecretor increases the risk of the diseases in 2.4 times as compared with the patients possessing A, B, AB blood groups and secretors.

Topics: ABO Blood-Group System; Antigens; Cholinesterases; Duodenal Ulcer; Genetics, Population; Humans; Lewis Blood Group Antigens; Moscow; Peptic Ulcer; Phenylthiourea; Rh-Hr Blood-Group System; Taste