[Influence of progressive systemic sclerosis on gastric emptying]

Gastric motility was measured with an isotopic method in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). Twenty-six women aged 48 +/- 10 yr with PSS were investigated. The duration of PSS prior to the study ranged from 2 to 25 yr. Control values were obtained from 12 healthy female volunteers aged 34 +/- 8 yr. Endoscopic examination was carried out in all investigated individuals to exclude abnormalities that were non-related to PSS. Measurements were done at morning, after an overnight fast. Patients and controls received a test meal of 1650 kJ containing human albumin microspheres labelled with 7.4 MBq of 99mTc. Subjects were investigated with a gamma-camera. It was shown that gastric emptying (GE) t 1/2 was delayed in the patient with PSS (289 +/- 325 min) as compared to the controls (92 +/- 19 min), p < 0.001. Delayed t 1/2 over x + 2SD of the control group was found in 69% of patients with PSS while in the control group O. The mean transit time (MTT90) was in the PSS group significantly longer than in the control group, 42.3 +/- 1.4 and 40 +/- 0.9 min respectively (p < 0.001). There was no correlation found between GE t 1/2 and the time of PSS duration (r = 0.08), its type II or III as well as the titer of Scl-70 antibodies in blood serum (r = 0.29, p > 0.1).