Gastrointestinal plasma protein loss during ethanol ingestion.

Plasma and "equivalent" albumin loss in the feces were quantitated before and during ingestion of 40% ethanol using 51Cr-labeled albumin. Five subjects were studied in each classification of normal gastric mucosa, superficial gastritis, and chronic atrophic gastritis. During the control period, plasma albumin loss was minimal and similar in all three groups. Exposure to ethanol resulted in a greater output of plasma albumin in the feces of all subjects. This loss was statistically significant in subjects with superficial gastritis (P less that 0.01) and chronic atrophic gastritis (P less than 0.005). Two subjects from each group underwent gastric clearance studies of 51Cr-labeled albumin. Increased gastric clearance of plasma was observed in all 6 subjects during ethanol ingestion; the increase was highly significant in subjects with atrophic gastritis (P less than 0.001). We conclude that ethanol ingestion can cause increased loss of plasma protein in the feces, which may be of clinical significance in subjects with atrophic gastritis.