Serum immunoreactive gastrin: specificity for rheumatoid arthritis, bimodality of distribution, and failure of effect of anti-inflammatory drugs.

A significant rise in immunoreactive gastrin in a proportion of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is confirmed. Such a rise does not seem to occur in other inflammatory or tissue destructive diseases. The patients with raised immunoreactive gastrin appear to form a separate population but the factors determining this separation remain obscure. Anti-inflammatory drugs, at least during short-term administration have no influence on immunoreactive gastrin concentrations.