Efficacy of rabeprazole on heartburn symptom resolution in patients with non-erosive and erosive gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: a multicenter study from Japan.
BACKGROUND
Few studies have compared the efficacy of proton pump inhibitors in resolving the symptoms of non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and of erosive gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in Japan.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate and compare the efficacy of 4-week course of rabeprazole 10 mg/day on symptom resolution in NERD and erosive GERD in Japan.


METHODS
The modified Los Angeles classification was used to grade endoscopically GERD in patients with heartburn (Grades N and M: NERD, Grades A and B: mild reflux oesophagitis (RO), and Grades C and D: severe RO). Rabeprazole 10 mg/day was administered for 4 weeks to 180 patients who kept symptom diaries.


RESULTS
Complete relief of the symptoms was achieved in 35.8% of the NERD group and 55.4% of the erosive GERD group (mild RO: 51.1% and severe RO: 77.8%). Rabeprazole was significantly more effective in erosive GERD than in NERD patients. Among the NERD subgroups (Grades N and M), no difference in symptom improvement was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Four-week, rabeprazole 10 mg/day acid suppression therapy was effective in resolving symptoms in Japanese GERD patients. This therapy was more effective in erosive GERD than in NERD patients, and in those with severe RO than in those with mild RO.
Miwa
H
H
Division of Upper Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Sasaki
M
M
Furuta
T
T
Koike
T
T
Habu
Y
Y
Ito
M
M
Fujiwara
Y
Y
Wada
T
T
Nagahara
A
A
Hongo
M
M
Chiba
T
T
Kinoshita
Y
Y
D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006356:Heartburn / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064750:Rabeprazole; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D064750:Rabeprazole