Understanding gastrointestinal involvement in systemic sclerosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding gastrointestinal involvement in systemic sclerosis
IRAS ID
102220
Contact name
Elizabeth Harrison
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Research summary
Approximately 90% of patients with systemic sclerosis report symptoms attributed to their gastrointestinal tract. Some patients have slower emptying of food and drink from their stomach than people without systemic sclerosis. In some patients this delay is linked to symptoms of fullness.
In health, the autonomic nervous system controls the functioning of many vital organs, including the gastrointestinal tract. Some patients with systemic sclerosis have a problem with their autonomic nervous system. Samples taken from the stomachs of some patients with systemic sclerosis show damaged nerves. This damage may be responsible for the stomach emptying slowly but, as yet, studies have failed to show a link between nerve damage and gastrointestinal problems in patients with systemic sclerosis.
We intend to measure the rate of emptying of the stomach of patients with systemic sclerosis, compared to healthy people, and to investigate how this relates to symptoms, appetite, and nervous responses when fasted and at intervals after a liquid meal. We will study some patients with symptoms and some without.
This is a new test protocol which has not previously been performed in this format. Previous studies, not in patients with systemic sclerosis, have simultaneously assessed the speed of stomach emptying and appetite/fullness, but have not measured nervous responses to eating. By combining all of these into one protocol, participants only need to attend on one occasion for full assessment, rather than two. As this is a new protocol, we require healthy volunteers, for comparison to patients with systemic sclerosis. This is an application to recruit both healthy participants and participants with systemic sclerosis.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NW/0423
Date of REC Opinion
20 Sep 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion