Improvement of gastric motility by hemodialysis in patients with chronic renal failure.
BACKGROUND
Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). We have previously demonstrated that patients with predialysis end-stage renal disease showed a high prevalence of GI symptoms and gastric hypomotility, and that gastric hypomotility appears to be an important factor in generating GI symptoms. However, it is not clear whether impaired gastric motor function would improve after hemodialytic treatment.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between gastric motor function and GI symptoms in CRF patients on hemodialysis.


METHODS
The study was performed in 19 patients with CRF treated with hemodialysis for more than six months and in 12 matched healthy controls. GI symptom severity was quantified in all patients. Gastric motility was evaluated with cutaneously recorded electrogastrography (EGG) and gastric emptying of semi-solid meals using the (13)C-acetic acid breath test.


RESULTS
Six patients had no symptoms, and 11 had slight GI symptoms with a total symptom score of less than 5. Compared with controls, CRF patients revealed no differences in gastric motility parameters, with the exception of a lower percentage of normogastria in EGG at fasting state. Eleven patients had normal gastric motor function (Group A), and eight showed abnormalities of either gastric myoelectrical activity or gastric emptying (Group B). There was no difference in symptom score between Group A and Group B.


CONCLUSIONS
More than half of the patients with CRF on hemodialysis demonstrated normal gastric motility, and no or slight GI symptoms. Hemodialytic treatment may improve impaired gastric motility and reduce GI symptoms in patients with CRF.
Adachi
Hiroshi
H
Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Japan.
Kamiya
Takeshi
T
Hirako
Makoto
M
Misu
Naoko
N
Kobayashi
Yuka
Y
Shikano
Michiko
M
Matsuhisa
Eriko
E
Kataoka
Hiromi
H
Sasaki
Makoto
M
Ohara
Hirotaka
H
Nakao
Haruhisa
H
Orito
Etsuro
E
Joh
Takashi
T
D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis