A clinical study of gastric emptying of solid meal in patients with chronic gastritis

Objective:To explore the relationship of gastric emptying with Helicobacter pylori(Hp) infection, activity and severity of gastritis, and clinical symptoms in patients with chronic gastritis.Methods:Thirty outpatients with chronic gastritis were classified into Hp positive (n=8) and negative groups (n=22), and into active (n= 16) and inactive gastritis groups (n=14), and into mild (n=15), moderate (n=9) and severe groups (n= 6), according to Hp and histology examination. The gastric emptying was measured by a radioscopic technique 5 h after a solid meal with radiopaque markers. Results:Total percentage of postprandial 5h emptying was (67.8±40.1)%. There were no significant difference between Hp positive patients and Hp negative patients \[(75.0±39.0)%, (65.2±41.0)%, respectively, P 0.05\]; and there were no significant differences between patients with active gastritis and inactive gastritis \[(58.8±42.1)%,(78.2±36.5)%, respectively, P 0.05\]; just the same as above, no significant difference was noted among mild, moderate and severe gastritis patients \[(68.3±(42.8)%,)(76.1±33.5)%,(54.2±45.3)%, respectively\]. Conclusion:Hp infection, activity or severity of gastritis, and clinical symptoms have no effect on gastric emptying in chronic gastritis patients.