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Impedance-pH reflux patterns can differentiate non-erosive reflux disease from functional heartburn patients

  • Original Article—Alimentary Tract
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Abstract

Introduction

Symptom association is important to distinguish non-erosive reflux disease [NERD; abnormal oesophageal acid exposure time (AET) and/or positive symptom association] from functional heartburn (FH; normal AET and negative symptom association). Asymptomatic patients during reflux monitoring are challenging as symptom association cannot be assessed.

Aim

To evaluate whether impedance-pH reflux patterns are useful to differentiate NERD from FH.

Methods

Endoscopy-negative reflux patients underwent impedance-pH off-therapy. Oesophageal AET, characteristics of reflux episodes and symptom association probability (SAP) were measured. Twenty patients asymptomatic during the first test repeated a second examination.

Results

Of 329 patients, 130 (40%) were pH-POS, 120 (36%) pH-NEG/SAP+ (hypersensitive oesophagus = HO) and 79 (24%) pH-NEG/SAP− (FH). Total and acid reflux episodes were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in pH-POS compared to pH-NEG/SAP+, pH-NEG/SAP− and healthy volunteers (HVs). Patients pH-NEG/SAP+ had a significantly increased number of weakly acidic reflux episodes compared to pH-POS, pH-NEG/SAP− and HVs (p < 0.01). The rate of proximal reflux episodes in pH-POS (50%) and pH-NEG/SAP+ (47%) was higher (p < 0.01) than in pH-NEG/SAP− (33%) and HVs (33%). Measuring AET, number of reflux episodes and percentage of proximal reflux events permits to identify FH in 70% of cases and HO in 80% of cases who repeated the examination.

Conclusion

In patients with normal AET and SAP+, increased number of weakly acidic reflux and higher rate of proximal reflux are the main discriminant features. There is large overlap between FH and HVs. These differences can be of help in diagnosing patients with normal oesophageal acid exposure who fail to have symptoms during MII-pH testing.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

    Edoardo Savarino, Patrizia Zentilin, Lorenzo Gemignani & Vincenzo Savarino

  2. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Radu Tutuian

  3. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Daniel Pohl

  4. Division of Gastroenterology, IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Milan, Italy

    Alberto Malesci

  5. Di.M.I. Cattedra di Gastroenterologia, Università di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 16100, Genoa, Italy

    Edoardo Savarino

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  1. Edoardo Savarino
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Correspondence to Edoardo Savarino.

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Savarino, E., Zentilin, P., Tutuian, R. et al. Impedance-pH reflux patterns can differentiate non-erosive reflux disease from functional heartburn patients. J Gastroenterol 47, 159–168 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-011-0480-0

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