Manometric assessment of esophageal motility in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

PubMed ID: 14722732Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the esophageal motility by manometry in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome. Methods: Esophageal manometry was carried out in 40 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), 15 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 15 with RA and secondary SS, and 21 healthy volunteers. Results: We found that the mean lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressures measured by station pull-through and rapid pull-through techniques were significantly higher in primary SS patients than with healthy controls and RA patients with or without SS (P0.05). However, peristaltic contraction velocity was lower and peristaltic contraction duration significantly higher at the middle and lower thirds of the esophagus in primary SS patients than in healthy controls (P