The correlation in dyspeptic patients of Helicobacter pylori infection with changes in interdigestive gastroduodenal motility patterns but not in gastric emptying.

BACKGROUND

Available data conflict regarding the possible relation between chronic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori (Hp), and gastric motor disorders in nonulcer dyspepsia. The aim of this study, therefore, was (1) to evaluate both gastroduodenal fasting motility and gastric emptying in subjects with functional dyspepsia, with and without gastritis, and (2) to correlate the motility pattern to Hp infection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-eight patients were studied, 20 positive for Hp infection (15 with gastritis) and 18 Hp-negative (8 with gastritis). All the subjects underwent 240-minute manometric recording of the interdigestive migrating motor complex, with evaluation of gastric and duodenal motility pattern and scintigraphic study of gastric emptying.

RESULTS

Whereas gastric emptying half-time did not differ in the subgroups of dyspeptic patients, a significant reduction of gastric phase IIIs of the migrating motor complex was detected between Hp-positive and Hp-negative subjects, both in overall patients (p < .01) and in patients with gastritis (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

Hp infection seems to be related to a reduction of interdigestive gastric activity fronts, though it does not affect gastric emptying. The conflicting data regarding gastric emptying and interdigestive motility in Hp infection could be explained as probably investigating two different functional aspects.