We checked on reproducibility of parameters of a multichannel electrogastrogram in adults after intake of typical, applied in electrogastrography, test meals. Recordings of multichannel electrogastrograms were accomplished in four blocks comprising 18 subjects (nine healthy volunteers and nine patients with functional GI disorders) each. Every subject had two examinations taken 1-2 days apart, and a third one was accomplished at least 2 weeks before or after the two other sessions. The registration involved a 30-min fasted and a 2-h postprandial period after one of the meal stimuli tested within a given block: 400 mL water, 400 g yoghurt (378 kcal), a scrambled eggs sandwich (370 kcal), a pancake (355 kcal). From among the parameters reflecting the propagation of the gastric slow waves, the average percentage of slow wave coupling (APSWC) exhibited a good (coefficient of variation for paired examinations CV(p) < or = 10%) to moderate (10 < CV(p) < or = 30%) reproducibility. On the other hand, the reproducibility of the maximum dominant frequency difference and the spatial dominant power difference was found to be unsatisfactory. The reproducibility of the multichannel electrogastrographic parameters did not differ between healthy volunteers and patients with functional GI disorders. Gender or the kind of a test meal did not affect the reproducibility of the electrogastrographic parameters either. The medium-term reproducibility was not any worse than the short-term one. From among the parameters of a multichannel electrogastrogram intended to quantify the propagation of slow waves, only the APSWC offers a reproducibility potentially good enough for clinical applications.

The feasibility of some electrogastrographic parameters to convey clinically useful information may be hampered by their fair reproducibility. Recoding of parameters of the cutaneous electrogastrogram from primary continuous to secondary categorical may help achieve a better agreement between repeat examinations.

METHODS:Twenty healthy volunteers (10 female, 10 male) underwent the 13 C-MBT after intake of 75 mg 13 C-methacetin p.o. on three occasions. Short-and medium-term reproducibility was assessed with paired examinations taken at an interval of 2 and 18 d (medians), respectively. RESULTS:The reproducibility of the 1-h cumulative 13 C recovery (AUC0-60), characterized by a coefficient of variation of 10%, appeared to be considerably better than the reproducibility of the maximum momentary 13 C recovery or the time of reaching it. Remarkably, as opposed to the short gap between consecutive examinations, the capacity of the liver to handle 13 C-methacetin increased slightly but statistically significantly when a repeat dose was administered after two to three weeks.Regarding the AUC0-60, the magnitude of this fixed bias amounted to 7.5%. Neither the time gap between the repeat examinations nor the gender of the subjects affected the 13 C-MBT reproducibility. CONCLUSION:13 C-MBT is most reproducibly quantified by the cumulative 13 C recovery, but the exactitude thereof may be modestly affected by persistent stimulation of CYP1A2 on repeat examinations.

The effect of cigarette smoking on gastric emptying was studied in 18 healthy volunteers by means of an isotopic method. Although the observed individual reactions were fairly variable, cigarette smoking significantly delayed gastric emptying of a solid meal. Potential mechanisms of action of cigarette smoking on gastric emptying are discussed, including the role of nicotine. The method of gastric emptying measurement was shown to be reproducible in the paired studies performed in 11 subjects.

The goal of the study was to establish if the conductive area size of recording electrodes affects the quality of a multichannel electrogastrogram. In twelve volunteers (9F, 3M, median age 24 years, range 22-28) on three separate days fasted and postprandial four-channel electrogastrograms were registered in randomized order with Red Dot class Ag/AgCl electrodes of a type: '2222' (conductive area/total area: 2.00/ 10.24 cm 2 , '2271' 2.54/29.64 cm 2 , or '2660' 11.64/11.64 cm 2 (total surface conductive!), and subsequently analyzed with a dedicated software. In the case of type 2271 and 2660 the between-electrode electrical conductivity improved at the end of the recording relative to the basal measurement, whereas type 2222 yielded a stable between-electrode electrical conductivity throughout the examination. Despite the differences in either the conductive area size or its construction, the analysis of variance on parameters describing quantitatively the multichannel electrogastrogram did not reveal a superiority of any from among the electrodes tested. Type 2271 was, however, rated the less handy among the three electrodes. Multichannel surface electrogastrography seems to be technically feasible with any type of high quality electrodes, therefore small dimensions and easy handling may favor the choice of a particular type for this examination.

StreszczenieWstęp: Ostatnie duże badania dotyczące częstości zakażeń Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) u dzieci w Polsce były prowadzone prawie 10 lat temu. Poprawa średnich przychodów i warunków życia w ciągu ostatnich lat pozwala przypuszczać, że odsetek za każeń H. pylori u dzieci powinien wykazywać stały trend spadkowy. Cel: Ocena aktualnej częstości występowania zakażenia H. pylori w populacji ogólnej dzieci szkolnych niemających objawów, zamieszkałych na terenach miejskich Górnego Śląska. Ocena wpływu wybranych czynników środowisko-wych na częstość zakażeń H. pylori oraz wpływ samego zakażenia na parametry antropometryczne badanych dzieci. Materiał i metody: Zbadano 415 dzieci w wieku 7-15 lat (śred-nia 10,8 roku). Wykonano u nich badanie w kierunku zakaże-nia H. pylori metodą mocznikowego testu oddechowego. Wyliczono parametry antropometryczne badanych dzieci oraz przeanalizowano ich warunki mieszkaniowe i środowiskowe. Wyniki: Zakażenie H. pylori wykazano u 15,7% badanej grupy. Nie stwierdzono różnic w średnim wieku dzieci zakażonych i niezakażonych (10,88 ±2,33 vs 10,74 ±2,34, p > 0,05). Status zakażenia H. pylori nie miał żadnego wpływu na wzrost, masę ciała, BMI oraz wskaźnik Cole'a badanych dzieci. Dzieci zakażone H. pylori miały znacznie gorsze warunki mieszkaniowe. Średnia liczba izb w miejscach zamieszkania dzieci zakażonych H. pylori była dużo mniejsza niż w miejscach zamieszkania dzieci niezakażonych (2,78 ±1,21 vs 3,41 ±1,26; p = 0,00038). Zagęszcze-nie, definiowane jako liczba domowników na izbę mieszkalną, było znacznie wyższe w grupie dzieci zakażonych H. pylori (1,92 ±1,18 vs 1,37 ±0,54, p = 0,00079). Wnioski: Obecnie częstość zakażeń H. pylori u dzieci bez objawów w populacji ogólnej w Polsce jest prawdopodobnie znacząco niższa niż podawana w dotychczasowych publikacjach. Złe warunki mieszkaniowe są ważnym czynnikiem ryzyka zakażenia H. pylori u dzieci. AbstractIntroduction: Previous large studies on the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in children in Poland were carried out about ten years ago. Since then an improvement in mean incomes and living conditions allows one to anticipate that the percentage of H. pylori infected children should be decreasing. Aim: To assess the current prevalence of H. pylori infection among asymptomatic school children from the general population living in the urban area of Upper Silesia (Poland); to assess the impact of environmental factors on the prevalence of H. pylori infection, as well as of the influence of the infection on the anthropometric parameters of children. Material and methods: 415 children aged 7-15 years (mean: 10.8 years) were examined. Their H. pylori status was diagnosed with the 13 C urea breath test. Anthropometric parameters of the children were recorded, and their living conditions and environmental factors were analysed. Results: Helicobacter pylori infection was diagnosed in 15.7% of children. There was no difference in the mean age of the infected and the non-infected children (10.88 ±2.33 vs. 10.74 ±2.34, p >...

The low-cost modification of the breath test involving a lower dose of 13C-octanoic acid and NDIRS, renders good short- and medium-term reproducibility, as well as sensitivity of the measurement of gastric emptying of solids.

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