Small bowel motility in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Objective: Previous studies have shown small bowel motor activity abnormalities in patients with liver cirrhosis of different etiologies, but motility has not been studied in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Our aim was to investigate proximal small bowel motility in these patients.

Methods: Twenty-five female patients presenting clinical, biochemical, serological, and histological findings compatible with primary biliary cirrhosis, 10 female patients with nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis, and 10 normal female controls were studied. Motility of the upper small bowel was measured in the fasted state by means of perfused manometric catheters, connected to external transducers and positioned in the small bowel under fluoroscopy.

Results: The average amplitude of contractions was significantly decreased in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis compared with other liver cirrhosis (20.2+/-1.0 vs 32+/-2.9 mm Hg). Also, a significantly increased frequency of cluster of contractions and an increased duration of phase II of the migrating motor complex as seen in liver cirrhosis was observed when compared with normals.

Conclusion: We conclude that primary biliary cirrhosis patients present motor abnormalities of the small intestine similar to those of patients with liver cirrhosis of other etiologies. In addition, a decrease in the amplitude of small bowel contractions was also found in these patients, suggesting a myogenic involvement.