Delayed Gastric Emptying and Gastric Autoimmunity in Type 1 Diabetes (original) (raw)

OBJECTIVE—Delayed gastric emptying and/or gastrointestinal symptoms occur in 30–50% of diabetic patients. Known contributing factors are autonomic neuropathy and acute hyperglycemia, but the role of gastric autoimmunity has never been investigated, although 15–20% of type 1 diabetic patients exhibit parietal cell antibodies (PCAs). We studied gastric motility in diabetes in relation to PCA status, autonomic nerve function, HbA1c, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), Helicobacter pylori (HP), acid production, and gastric histology. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Gastric emptying of solids and liquids (measured by 13C-octanoic acid and 13C-glycine breath tests, respectively) was tested in euglycemic conditions in 42 type 1 diabetic patients (male/female: 29/13; 15 PCA+; mean age 40 ± 15 years; mean HbA1c 7.8 ± 0.9%). Gastrointestinal symptoms, autonomic nerve function (Ewing tests), PCA status (indirect immunofluorescence), gastric histology, and acid secretion (pentagastrin) were assessed...