Gastric Emptying Time and Volume of the Small Intestine as Objective Markers in Patients With Symptoms of Diabetic Enteropathy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) often suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, but these correlate poorly to established objective GI motility measures. Our aim is to perform a detailed evaluation of potential measures of gastric and small intestinal motility in patients with DM type 1 and severe GI symptoms.

METHODS

Twenty patients with DM and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were included. GI motility was examined with a 3-dimensional-Transit capsule, while organ volumes were determined by CT scans.

RESULTS

Patients with DM and HCs did not differ with regard to median gastric contraction frequency (DM: 3.0 contractions/minute [interquartile range {IQR}, 2.9-3.0]; HCs: 2.9 [IQR, 2.8-3.1]; = 0.725), amplitude of gastric contractions (DM: 9 mm [IQR, 8-11]; HCs: 11 mm (IQR, 9-12); = 0.151) or fasting volume of the stomach wall (DM: 149 cm [IQR, 112-187]; HCs: 132 cm [IQR, 107-154]; = 0.121). Median gastric emptying time was prolonged in patients (DM: 3.3 hours [IQR, 2.6-4.6]; HCs: 2.4 hours [IQR, 1.8-2.7]; = 0.002). No difference was found in small intestinal transit time (DM: 5 hours [IQR, 3.7-5.6]; HCs: 4.8 hours [IQR, 3.9-6.0]; = 0.883). However, patients with DM had significantly larger volume of the small intestinal wall (DM: 623 cm [IQR, 487-766]; HCs: 478 cm [IQR, 393-589]; = 0.003). Among patients, 13 (68%) had small intestinal wall volume and 9 (50%) had gastric emptying time above the upper 95% percentile of HCs.

CONCLUSION

In our study, gastric emptying time and volume of the small intestinal wall appeared to be the best objective measures in patients with DM type 1 and symptoms and gastroenteropathy.