Salivary concentration of epidermal growth factor in adults with reflux laryngitis before and after treatment.
OBJECTIVE
The diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is controversial. There is no correlation between the number of reflux episodes and the severity of the inflammatory response at the esophagus or the laryngopharyngeal segment. Some authors have suggested that decreased salivary epidermal growth factor (EGF) concentrations in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and LPR point to a breakdown in the local defenses. Our objective was to establish whether treatment of the disease influences low salivary EGF concentrations.


METHODS
The spontaneous whole saliva of 20 adults with LPR was sampled at a tertiary teaching hospital before and after a 16-week course of full-dose proton pump inhibitor and compared to that of 12 healthy controls. Salivary EGF concentrations were established with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.


RESULTS
Although the mean salivary EGF concentrations were higher before treatment than after treatment and control of the disease (25,083 versus 19,359 pg/mL), this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.065). The mean salivary EGF concentration of healthy control subjects was significantly higher (54,509 pg/mL; p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Both before and after treatment, patients with reflux laryngitis present lower salivary EGF concentrations than healthy control subjects, suggesting a primary deficit in their protective mechanisms.
Department of Otolaryngology, Santa Casa School of Medicine and Hospitals of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Claudia A
CA
Eckley
Luis Roberto
LR
Sardinha
Luiz Vicente
LV
Rizzo
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007827:Laryngitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D057045:Laryngopharyngeal Reflux / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor