[Reflux esophagitis: respective roles of esophageal and gastric pathogenic factors]

Multiple factors contribute to the production of esophagitis in gastroesophageal reflux (GER), but the respective roles of esophageal (i. e. lower esophageal sphincter (LES) tone, peristalsis) and gastric factors (i. e. acid secretion and gastric emptying) are not well known. The aim of this work was to study the frequency and the severity of esophageal and gastric abnormalities observed in the same patients and to correlate these findings with the degree of esophagitis. Thirty-three consecutive patients with GER proven by esophageal pH recording (3-hr postprandial pH-test) were classified according to the presence (group A, n = 18) or absence (group B, n = 15) of severe esophagitis (i. e. erosions, ulcerations, or stenosis) at endoscopy. LES basal tone and esophageal peristalsis were studied by manometry. Gastric acid secretion and emptying of liquids were measured by intragastric titration coupled with the dye dilution technique. Results obtained in GER patients were compared with those found in twenty-three normal subjects. Hypotonia of LES (i. e. LES tone less than 7 cm H2O) was more frequent in group A (72 p. 100) than in group B patients (30 p. 100, p less than 0.05). Magnitude of esophageal peristaltic waves was lower in group A than in group B (p less than 0.10). When compared to values found in normal subjects, gastric emptying and acid secretion were not significantly different both in presence and in absence of esophagitis. There was no linear correlation between esophageal pH parameters and acid secretion values or gastric emptying rates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)