title: Is a proton pump inhibitor necessary for the treatment of lower-grade reflux esophagitis?
abstract: The efficacy of histamine H2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapies in healing reflux esophagitis was compared in a prospective randomized case-control comparative study. A total of 71 patients with grade A to D esophagitis (Los Angeles classification) were given either famotidine 20 mg twice a day (Fam; n = 35) or omeprazole 20 mg once daily (Ome; n = 36) for 8 weeks. Endoscopy was performed to assess healing in 57 patients. Healed patients were followed-up without H2RA or PPI therapy for 3 months. At the end of follow-up, endoscopy was able to be performed in 33 patients. Healing rates for patients in the Fam and Ome groups were 58.6% (17/OFF and 97.4% (27/28), respectively (P < 0.001), and when limited to grade A to B, healing rates were 60.9% (14/23) and 100% (25/25), respectively (P < 0.001). Concerning Helicobacter pylori infection, healing rates for the Fam and Ome groups in H. pylori (+) patients were 90.0% (9/10) and 90.9% (10/11), respectively (P = 1.00). Remission rates in the Fam and Ome groups were 45.0% (91/2)) and 33.3% (6/18), respectively (P > 0.4). In regard to alcohol drinking, remission rates of daily and social drinkers were 7.7% and 42.4%, respectively (P < 0.03). Thus, PPI should be the drug of choice even for healing lower-grade reflux esophagitis, especially in H. pylori (-) patients. Treatment with H2RA may be an alternative choice in H. pylori (+) patients. After healing, most patients cannot sustain remission without maintenance therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastrointestinal Medicine, Akashi City Hospital, Akashi, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sekimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kutsumi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015738:Famotidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009853:Omeprazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D015738:Famotidine; D009853:Omeprazole