Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradicated therapy on water gastric emptying in patients with active duodenal ulcer.
OBJECTIVE
It remains debatable if duodenal ulcer (DU) or Helicobacter pylori infection has a definite impact on human gastric emptying (GE). We explored the nature of water GE in active DU patients before and after ulcer healing and the influence of H. pylori eradication on GE.


METHODS
A home made applied potential tomography (APT) was used to measure liquid GE. Twelve electrodes were placed in a circular array around the upper abdomen of studied subjects. After drinking 500 mL of ion-free water, paired electrodes injected electrical current and the remaining 10 electrodes recorded signals, one-by-one in a rotating order. Based on tomographical calculation, the serial changes of averaged signals from altered resistivities were constructed to display GE. Initially, 64 H. pylori infected active DU patients were enrolled. After APT measurement, one-week triple therapy (omeprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin) was dispensed. Patients were asked back to determine ulcer/H. pylori status and GE on a scheduled date 3 months later. Finally, 58 patients finished the trial with valid and readable GE data obtained.


RESULTS
The ulcer healing and H. pylori eradicated rates were 91.4% and 82.8%, respectively. In general, liquid GE was prolonged in all DU patients at follow up. Of 48 eradicated patients, 35.4% manifested either enhanced or delayed GE before treatment, whereas only five (10.4%) had abnormal GE after treatment (P < 0.0001). In contrast, this characteristically normalized GE was not found in non-eradicated patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Water GE of active DU patients ranges from enhanced to delayed, while an effective H. pylori triple therapy is useful not only for healing ulcers, but also for restoring abnormal GE.
Chang
Full-Young
FY
Division of Gastroenterology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Lu
Ching-Liang
CL
Chen
Chih-Yen
CY
Luo
Jiing-Chyuan
JC
Jium
Kang Lih
KL
Lee
Shou-Dong
SD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009853:Omeprazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014054:Tomography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D014867:Water; D000658:Amoxicillin; D017291:Clarithromycin; D009853:Omeprazole