Background: 20 to 30% of patients with GORD respond inadequately to conventional therapy. Most of these patients belong to the non-‐erosive reflux disease group. Despite not having oesophagitis, in these patients oesophageal mucosal integrity appears to be impaired. Aims: To study the dynamic in vitro and in vivo properties of oesophageal mucosal integrity in patients with non-‐erosive reflux disease, and to test the feasibility of a topical mucosal protectant therapy. Methods: In vitro studies of mucosal integrity were done on human oesophageal biopsies using Ussing chambers. Change in transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) on exposure to acidic solutions was measured. Integrity was assessed in vivo by measuring impedance change and subsequent recovery after oesophageal acid perfusion in symptomatic patients. Proximal and distal oesophageal mucosal integrity was assessed in vitro and in vivo. The effect of in vitro topical application of an alginate-‐based solution on acid-‐induced changes in mucosal integrity was tested. Results: In vitro exposure of biopsies to acidic and weakly acidic solutions caused a greater impairment of integrity in symptomatic patients than in controls. In vivo oesophageal acid perfusion causes a profound drop in distal oesophageal impedance that is slow to recover. Recovery is slower in patients with non-‐erosive reClux disease than in patients with functional heartburn, and a low baseline impedance is associated with painful perception of acid. Proximal oesophageal sensitivity appears unrelated to impaired mucosal integrity, but rather to a distinct sensory afferent nerve distribution. Topical pre-‐treatment with an alginate solution is able to prevent acid-‐induced changes in integrity in vitro. Conclusion: Patients with non-‐erosive reClux disease have a distinct mucosal vulnerability to acidic and weakly acidic solutions that may underlie persistent symptoms. A topical therapeutic approach may be a feasible add-‐on strategy to treat GORD in the future.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:667161 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Woodland, Philip John |
| Publisher | Queen Mary, University of London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/8728 |
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