Peptic Ulcer

A peptic ulcer, also well-known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is an ulcer (defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm) of a region of the gastrointestinal tract that is typically acidic and thus enormously painful. Tobacco smoking, not eating properly, blood group, spices and other factors that were supposed to cause ulcers until late in the 20th century, are actually of relatively minor importance in the development of peptic ulcers.

A main causative factor (60% of gastric and up to 90% of duodenal ulcers) is chronic inflammation due to Helicobacter pylori that colonizes (i.e. settles there after entering the body) the antral mucosa. The immune system is incapable to clear the infection, despite the appearance of antibodies. Thus, the bacterium can cause a chronic active gastritis (type B gastritis), ensuing in a defect in the regulation of gastrin production by that part of the stomach, and gastrin secretion can either be decreased (most cases) resulting in hypo- or achlorhydria or increased. Gastrin stimulates the creation of gastric acid by parietal cell and, in H. pylori colonization responses that increase gastrin, the increase in acid can contribute to the erosion of the mucosa and therefore ulcer formation. Studies have exposed eating cabbage or cabbage juice can increase the mucosa lining in the stomach.