PLASMA CHOLECYSTOKININ AND GALLBLADDER RESPONSES TO INCREASING DOSES OF BOMBESIN IN CELIAC-DISEASE

Impaired postprandial gallbladder emptying in celiac disease has been attributed to an absence of appropriate cholecystokinin release. To de termine if a flat jejunal mucosa in celiac patients is related to a re duced cholecystokinin-secreting capacity, increasing doses of bombesin were infused into six patients with celiac disease and a flat jejunal mucosa (group A), in seven celiac patients with a normal jejunal muco sa while on a gluten-free diet (group B), and in seven healthy control s (group C). Bombesin induced significant (P < 0.05) increments of pla sma CCK to a maximum value of 1.0 +/- 0.3 pM in group A, to 1.5 +/- 0. 3 pM in group B, and to 1.2 +/- 0.3 pM in group C (NS between groups), that were accompanied by significant (P < 0.05) gallbladder emptying responses of 70 +/- 4% in group A, 47 +/- 10% in group B and 65 +/- 5% in group C. Dose-response relationships were not different between gr oups. We conclude that there is no major impairment of gallbladder res ponsiveness to bombesin or of cholecystokinin-secreting capacity in pa tients with a flat jejunal mucosa due to celiac disease.