Purpose: Electrogastroenterography (EGEG) is a method of measuring action potentials of the digestive tract. The aim of the study was to evaluate the main features of the gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity (GI MEA) in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) associated with metabolic syndrome (MS).
Materials and methods: GI motility function in fasting and postprandial periods by the peripheral EGEG (EGEG system "Gastroenterological GEM-01") were recorded in 33 patients with NAFLD associated with MS, 26 patients with mixed type of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and 10 healthy volunteers aged from 18 to 70 years.
Results: Total fasting GI MEA data of patients with NAFLD associated with MS (Me = 40,99 MB) dominated over the same in patients with IBS (Me = 23.84 mV) and healthy volunteers (Me = 11.26 mV), the differences between EGEG parameters was not significant but critical (H = 5.997, p = 0.050). This trend was observed in postprandial period (H = 0.891, p = 0.640). In postprandial period total GI MEA in patients with NAFLD associated with MS was increased in 36.4% patients (95% CI: 24.7-56.3%) only while in IBS patients and healthy volunteers total GI MEA tract were increased in 76.9% patients (95% CI: 58.0-89.0%) and in 90.0% (95% CI: 59.6-98.2%) correspondently (χ2 = 14.12, p = 0.001). Postprandial ratio (PPR) (ratio between total GI MEA in postprandial and fasting periods) of GI MEA were less than 1.0 in patients with NAFLD associated with MS (Me = 0.65) and less then PPRs in patients with IBS and healthy volunteers (H = 10.378, p = 0.006). PPR in patients with IBS was less then this ratio in healthy volunteers (Me = 1.48 vs Me = 1.66) CONCLUSION: The increased total GI MEA is observed in patients with NAFLD associated with MS. Patients with NAFLD associated with MS have abnormal GI MEA in response on food stimulation. This fact may be important in the development of NAFLD and MS.