Relationship of Helicobacter pylori infection with gastrointestinal motility

The interest of gastroenterologists in the relationship between Helicobacter pylori and gastrointestinal motility emerges from the observation that Helicobacter pylori may be involved in the pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia and that a relatively large percentage of patients with dyspepsia may show impaired gastrointestinal motility. A number of studies have been published on the interaction between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastrointestinal motility with controversial results, and, therefore, there are no definite conclusions, as yet, as to whether Helicobacter pylori is able, at all, or in which degree, to influence the motility of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Motility of the upper gastrointestinal tract has been studied in Helicobacter pylori positive and negative individuals by means of manometry, scintigraphy, radio-opaque markers or by other, recently developed, procedures such as breath tests, ultrasonography, and barostat. The vast majority of studies do not support the hypothesis that Helicobacter pylori may influence gastrointestinal motility. Nearly all these studies are, however, affected by methodological problems related to the small numbers of patients, different methodological approaches, and to the well-known difficulties in studying both gastrointestinal motility and functional dyspepsia.