Effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on gastric emptying and gastrointestinal hormones in dyspeptic and healthy subjects

There is no general agreement as regards the effect of Helicobncter pylori infection on gastric emptying in patients with functional dyspepsia. Food r eleases several gastrointestinal hormones, and some of these are known to c ontribute to the regulation of gastric emptying. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of H. pylori on gastric emptying in dyspeptic and healthy subjects and to verify whether different hormone secretion patt erns are affected by the presence of the bacterium. Twenty-seven patients a ffected by functional dyspepsia and 30 asymptomatic healthy subjects entere d the study. H, pylori presence was assessed in controls by IgG antibodies to H. pylori and [C-13] urea breath test, and that in patients by Warthin-S tarry stain on gastric biopsies. After ingesting a standard solid-liquid me al, an ultrasound examination of gastric emptying was performed. Plasma con centrations of gastrin, cholecystokinin, and pancreatic polypeptide were me asured in the fasting and postprandial period for 4 hours. The incidence of H. pylori infection was not higher in functional dyspepsia patients than i n controls. As regards gastric emptying, no difference was detected between patients and controls with and without H. pylori infection. On the contrar y, the presence of N. pylori infection determined alterations in gastrin le vels, which were higher in controls than in patients. Basal CCK levels were higher in the H. pylori-negative patients than H, pylori-positive patients and controls. In conclusion, H, pylori infection seems not to cause altera tions in gastric emptying, but rather alterations in gastrin levels. In con trast, the altered levels of CCK account for its involvement in the pathoph ysiology of H, pylori-negative dyspepsia.