Reflux perception and the esophageal mucosal barrier in gastroesophageal reflux disease
Abstract
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Heartburn, regurgitation and chest pain are the key symptoms. Patients with reflux symptoms often have more than average reflux of acidic contents in the esophagus. However, frequently there is a discrepancy between the severity of esophageal exposure to gastric content and the severity of symptoms. Esophageal sensitivity seems to be an important factor in symptom generation. This thesis aimed to address the perception of reflux and its modulation, with a specific focus on the role of esophageal mucosal barrier function within this spectrum. In the first part of the thesis we demonstrate that an enhanced esophageal sensitivity of the esophagus is associated with impaired barrier function of the esophageal epithelium, irrespective of the presence of erosions. Mucosal barrier function can be determined in vivo by measuring an impedance spectrum of the esophageal mucosa using a new endoscopic probe. We investigated the role of stress and the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 in the development of barrier dysfunction in an animal model. Furthermore, we describe the effectivity of proton-pump inhibitor therapy for non-erosive reflux disease and the effectivity of anti-depressant therapy for functional esophageal disorders. The second part of the thesis comprises several studies regarding esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM). We provide normal values for…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a thesis, done in animal, not in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
- Tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study
- A new aging measure captures morbidity and mortality risk across diverse subpopulations from NHANES IV: A cohort study
- Fruit, vegetable, and legume intake, and cardiovascular disease and deaths in 18 countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study
- Are noise and air pollution related to the incidence of dementia? A cohort study in London, England
- Long COVID symptoms and duration in SARS-CoV-2 positive children — a nationwide cohort study
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.