Pathological and histomorphometric study of the effects of alcohol on the human duodenum.

Duodenal biopsies from 47 alcoholic patients and 21 nonalcoholics were examined histologically and the number of chronic inflammatory (mononuclear) cells in the lamina propria and of villus goblet cells was calculated using a cell-counting technique. The number of mononuclear cells was the same in both groups. Goblet cell hyperplasia, gastric metaplasia and changes in the villi and epithelium were found almost exclusively in the alcoholics. Mononuclear cell counts were higher in patients from both groups showing concomitant chronic gastritis. Goblet cells were more numerous in older patients; mononuclear cells in nonalcoholics showed a slight increase with age. Correlation between endoscopy and histology gave equivocal results.