Salivary epidermal growth factor concentrations in patients with Sjögren syndrome and laryngopharyngeal reflux

Sjögren syndrome was chosen as a clinical model to study acinar salivary deficiencies in the development of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). The objective of this prospective cohort study was to compare salivary epidermal growth factor (EGF) concentrations of patients with Sjögren syndrome with and without LPR and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with normal controls. LPR was diagnosed with positive scores on the Reflux Symptom Index and Reflux and Reflux Finding Score, corroborated by esophagogastroduodenoscopy and/or 24-hour pH-metry. Salivary EGF concentrations of both unstimulated and mechanically stimulated saliva were established using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the significance level was set at 95%. Twenty-one patients and 19 controls were studied. All patients had LPR and 60% also had GERD. The mean salivary EGF concentration of unstimulated and stimulated saliva in the control group was 1,751.37 pg/ml and 544.76 pg/ml, respectively. Unstimulated and stimulated salivary EGF concentrations in the study group were 2,534.65 pg/ml and 920.69 pg/ml, respectively. These differences were not statistically significant. Body mass index, presence of erosive esophagitis, or severity of hyposalivation did not significantly influence salivary EGF concentrations. LPR and GERD are highly prevalent in patients with Sjögren syndrome. Unlike previous studies in which significant EGF deficiencies were found in patients with reflux laryngitis and GERD, patients with Sjögren syndrome seem to have reflux caused by a decrease in clearance capacity and not in specific salivary components.