Oesophageal function and symptoms in moderate and severe asthma

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Gastroenterology
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children and adolescents.
• Esophageal dysfunction (OD) is a potential comorbidity that may influence respiratory conditions.
• The relationship between asthma severity and OD requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of esophageal dysfunction (OD) in children and adolescents with moderate to severe asthma.
• To explore the association between OD, asthma symptoms, and specific esophageal acid sensitivity tests.
• To determine if OD exacerbates asthma in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

• Interview-based assessment of esophageal and bronchial symptoms in 55 asthmatic children/adolescents and 28 healthy controls.
• Oesophageal manometry combined with pH-reflux tests, acid perfusion tests, and acid clearing tests were performed.
• Statistical analysis to compare OD prevalence and test results between asthmatic and healthy groups, and across asthma severity.

Main Results:

• Esophageal dysfunction (OD) was significantly more prevalent in asthmatic subjects (60%) compared to healthy controls (14%).
• Frequent nocturnal or morning asthma was associated with a higher positive acid perfusion test rate (56%) versus less severe asthma (16%).
• OD symptoms demonstrated 52% sensitivity and 100% specificity for diagnosing OD in asthmatic subjects.

Conclusions:

• Asthma in children and adolescents is frequently associated with esophageal dysfunction (OD).
• Acid hypersensitivity of the esophagus is suggested as a factor that may aggravate asthma.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the causal link and therapeutic implications of OD in asthma management.