title: Noninvasive evaluation of gastric emptying and gastric wall thickness in SLE patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to evaluate the gastric emptying in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with gastrointestinal involvement using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  The gastric emptying times at 25% (T1), 50% (T2), and 75% (T3) of SLE patients with gastrointestinal involvement (n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 80) were evaluated and compared. In addition, the correlations among the gastric wall thickness, SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI), and upper gastrointestinal symptoms were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The gastric wall thickness was correlated with the SLEDAI (r = 0.928, p < 0.001) and the upper gastrointestinal symptom index (r = 0.848, p < 0.001). The emptying times T1, T2, and T3 of the SLE patients were 17.08 ± 2.65 min (mean ± standard deviation), 39.85 ± 6.54 min, and 83.58 ± 7.12 min, respectively. For healthy controls, they were 19.65 ± 5.39 min, 41.08 ± 7.51 min, and 70.34 ± 8.03 min. The T1 of the SLE patients was shorter (p < 0.01), while the T3 was longer (p < 0.001). Moreover, T3 in the SLE group had the best correlation with the upper gastrointestinal symptom index (r = 0.553, p < 0.001). T1 in the SLE group was anti-correlated with early satiety (r = -0.366, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combining the emptying times T1 and T3, as well as the gastric wall thickness, the SLEDAI and the upper gastrointestinal symptoms index can provide accurate clinical diagnosis of SLE with gastric involvement.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ultrasound , Zhangzhou Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University , Zhangzhou , Fujian , China.
authors.forename: Hao-Lin
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ultrasound , Zhangzhou Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University , Zhangzhou , Fujian , China.
authors.forename: Shu-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ultrasound , Zhangzhou Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University , Zhangzhou , Fujian , China.
authors.forename: Kang-Jian
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ultrasound , Zhangzhou Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University , Zhangzhou , Fujian , China.
authors.forename: Bei-Lei
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: b Department of Gastroenterology , Zhangzhou Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University , Zhangzhou , Fujian , China.
authors.forename: Wen-Bao
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: c Department of Endocrinology , Zhangzhou Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University , Zhangzhou , Fujian , China.
authors.forename: Jin-Zhi
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: d Department of Ultrasound , Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University , Quanzhou , Fujian , China.|e Department of Clinical Medicine , Quanzhou Medical College , Quanzhou , Fujian , China.
authors.forename: Guo-Rong
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Lyu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013270:Stomach / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Ultrasonography; gastric emptying; systemic lupus erythematosus; three-dimensional ultrasound