13C-octanoic acid breath test (OBT) with a new test meal (EXPIROGer®): Toward standardization for testing gastric emptying of solids
Received 20 July 2009; accepted 3 January 2010. published online 29 January 2010.
Abstract
Background
Standardization of the 13C-octanoic acid breath test is still lacking.
Aim
To evaluate the accuracy of the 13C-octanoic acid breath test using a new standardized ready-to-eat, gluten-, glucose-, and lactose-free muffin.
Methods
Healthy subjects were recruited and sorted by sex and age. Patients with diabetic gastroparesis and untreated celiac disease with known gastric motility disorders were also tested with the new labelled muffin. Expired breath 13CO2 was analysed and t1/2 was calculated.
Results
Overall, 131 healthy subjects were enrolled. The reference range of t1/2 was 88±29min with the value of 146min as the upper limit of normal range. No significant difference in t1/2 was found among subjects sorted by sex or age. The within-subject variability of t1/2 was 17%. Mean (±standard deviation) t1/2 values were 179±50min in patients with diabetic gastroparesis (n=8) and 151±20min in those with untreated celiac disease (n=11) (p≤0.001 vs controls).
Conclusions
A new standardized test meal simplifies the execution of the 13C-octanoic acid breath test, is not influenced by sex or age, has low intra-individual variability, is palatable, does not cause side effects, and is able to evaluate gastric emptying in both patients and healthy controls. Moreover, it can be used in subjects with lactose intolerance, diabetes, and celiac disease.
jGastroenterology Unit, Brotzu Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
Corresponding author at: Division of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, “Madonna del Soccorso” Hospital, Via L. Manara, 3-7, 63039 San Benedetto del Tronto (AP), Italy. Tel.: +39 0735 793539; fax: +39 0735 793539.
1 On behalf of the Italian Group for Gastric Emptying Testing (IGGET). IGGET Members are reported in Appendix A.
ABSTRACT