Abnormal acid reflux in asthmatic patients in a region with low GERD prevalence.
BACKGROUND
A high prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in asthmatic patients has been reported from North America and Europe. However, only a few data from Asia are available. This study evaluated the incidence of abnormal gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in asthmatic patients in Taiwan.


METHODS
Fifty-six consecutive ambulatory patients with clinically stable asthma (41 men and 15 women; age, 57.7 +/- 12.4 years; range, 24 to 74 years) were evaluated prospectively. All patients underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy, esophageal manometry, and 24-h esophageal pH monitoring.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine patients (51.8%) had abnormal GER, as defined by 24-h esophageal pH monitoring. There were 42 patients without endoscopic evidence of esophagitis, 10 patients with Los Angeles (LA) grade A esophagitis, and 4 patients with LA grade B esophagitis. The esophageal motility function studies revealed 21 patients with normal esophageal motility, 23 patients with ineffective esophageal motility (IEM), and 12 patients with nonspecific esophageal motility disorders other than IEM. Although the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) basal pressure was higher in the patients without GER, the difference was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Abnormal GER seems to be a clinically significant problem in asthmatic patients in Taiwan. The most common esophageal motility dysfunction is IEM. However, the status of Helicobacter pylori infection plays no role in abnormal GER.
Hsu
Jen-Yuan
JY
Division of Chest Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
Lien
Han-Chung
HC
Chang
Chi-Sen
CS
Chen
Gran-Hum
GH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D049630:Esophageal Sphincter, Lower / Q000503:physiopathology; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology