Addition of prokinetics to PPI therapy in gastroesophageal reflux disease: A meta-analysis

A Double-blind, Randomized, Multicenter Clinical Trial Investigating the Efficacy and Safety of Esomeprazole Single Therapy Versus Mosapride and Esomeprazole Combined Therapy in Patients with Esophageal Reflux Disease

Background/Aims

We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy in erosive reflux disease (ERD) patients by comparing endoscopic healing rates according to the Los Angeles classification for esomeprazole alone, and esomeprazole plus mosapride.

Methods

A total of 116 ERD patients were randomized to receive esomeprazole 40 mg once daily plus mosapride 5 mg 3 times daily (E+M group), or esomeprazole plus placebo (E only group) for 8 weeks. Patients recorded gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptom questionnaire at weeks 4 and 8. The primary endpoint was the endoscopic healing rate of ERD after 8 weeks of treatment.

Results

Endoscopic healing rates according to the Los Angeles classification was 32 (66.7%) in the E+M group and 26 (60.5%) in the E only group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. Only at 4 weeks, the total GERD symptom score changes relative to the baseline significantly improved in the E+M group than that of the E only group (−13.4 ± 14.7 vs −8.0 ± 12.3, P = 0.041), and upper abdominal pain and belching score changes showed significantly improved in the E+M group than that of the E only group (P = 0.018 and P = 0.013, respectively).

Conclusions

The combination of a proton pump inhibitor with mosapride shows a tendency for upper abdominal pain, belching, and total GERD symptoms scores to improve more rapidly. This suggests that combination therapy with esomeprazole and mosapride will be useful for rapid improvement of specific GERD symptoms, such as upper abdominal pain and belching in ERD patients.

Diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease: recommendations of the Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología

Emerging concepts in the pathophysiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the constant technologic advances in the diagnosis and treatment of this clinical condition make it necessary to frequently review and update the clinical guidelines, recommendations, and official statements from the leading academic groups worldwide. The Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología (AMG), aware of this responsibility, brought together national experts in this field to analyze the most recent scientific evidence and formulate a series of practical recommendations to guide and facilitate the diagnostic process and efficacious treatment of these patients. The document includes algorithms, figures, and tables for convenient consultation, along with opinions on GERD management in sensitive populations, such as pregnant women and older adults.

Respiratory disease and the oesophagus: reflux, reflexes and microaspiration

Gastro-oesophageal reflux is associated with a wide range of respiratory disorders, including asthma, isolated chronic cough, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. Reflux can be substantial and reach the proximal margins of the oesophagus in some individuals with specific pulmonary diseases, suggesting that this association is more than a coincidence. Proximal oesophageal reflux in particular has led to concern that microaspiration might have an important, possibly even causal, role in respiratory disease. Interestingly, reflux is not always accompanied by typical reflux symptoms, such as heartburn and/or regurgitation, leading many clinicians to empirically treat for possible gastro-oesophageal reflux. Indeed, costs associated with use of acid suppressants in pulmonary disease far outweigh those in typical GERD, despite little evidence of therapeutic benefit in clinical trials. This Review comprehensively examines the possible mechanisms that might link pulmonary disease and oesophageal reflux, highlighting the gaps in current knowledge and limitations of previous research, and helping to shed light on the frequent failure of antireflux treatments in pulmonary disease.

Effects of acotiamide on esophageal motor function and gastroesophageal reflux in healthy volunteers

Background

The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been increasing worldwide, with proton pump inhibitor (PPI) administration the current mainstay therapy for affected individuals. However, PPI efficacy is insufficient especially for non-erosive reflux disease. Although it has been reported that prokinetic drugs improve GERD, their effects on esophageal function remain to be clearly investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the direct effects of acotiamide, a novel prokinetic agent for the treatment of functional dyspepsia, on esophageal motor function and gastroesophageal reflux.

Methods

Ten adult healthy volunteers (average age 24 years, range 20–36 years; 7 males, 3 females) were enrolled. Esophageal body peristaltic contractions and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure with and without acotiamide administration were recorded using high resolution manometry using a cross-over protocol. Total and acidic reflux levels for 24 h and during the postprandial period were also recorded using a multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH monitoring system. Data were analyzed blind by one observer.

Results

Acotiamide at a standard dose of 300 mg/day did not significantly stimulate esophageal motor function. Although the frequency of swallows with weak contraction tended to decrease with acotiamide administration, the difference as compared to no administration was not statistically significant. In addition, the drug neither decreased total or postprandial gastroesophageal acid/non-acid reflux events nor accelerated esophageal clearance time.

Conclusions

Acotiamide, a novel gastrointestinal motility modulator, at a standard dose did not significantly affect esophageal motor functions or gastroesophageal reflux in healthy adults. Additional investigations with GERD patients are necessary to elucidate its clinical significance.

Trial registration

This study was registered on 1st August 2013 with the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) clinical trials registry, as number: UMIN000011260.

SLITRK3 expression correlation to gastrointestinal stromal tumor risk rating and prognosis

AIM: To assess the influence of SLIT and NTRK-like family member 3 (SLITRK3) on the prognosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and determine whether SLITRK3 can help improve current risk stratification systems.

METHODS: We hypothesized that SLITRK3 could be used as a prognostic molecular biomarker for GIST. 35 fresh tumor samples and 417 paraffin-embedded specimens from GIST patients were utilized. SLITRK3 mRNA expression in GIST tumor tissue was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and SLITRK3 protein levels were estimated by immunohistochemistry. The correlation of SLITRK3 expression with various tumor clinicopathological characteristics and follow-up data were analyzed.

RESULTS: GIST tumors had high expression of SLITRK3 compared with adjacent normal tissues and the expression level gradually increased with risk grade. SLITRK3 protein expression was closely associated with gastrointestinal bleeding, tumor site, tumor size, mitotic index, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) classification. Survival analysis showed that SLITRK3 expression was closely correlated with overall survival and disease-free survival of GIST patients. Multivariate analysis also identified SLITRK3 expression, mitotic index, and NIH stage as significant risk factors of GIST recurrence.

CONCLUSION: SLITRK3 expression is a highly significant predictor of GIST recurrence and metastasis. Combinations of SLITRK3 and NIH stage have strong predictive and prognostic value, and are feasible markers for clinical practice in gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Respiratory physiotherapy in gastroesophageal reflux disease: A review article

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a frequent disorder which is expensive to diagnose and treat. Initiating therapy with empiric trial of proton-pump inhibitor is a well established strategy; however, symptoms of GERD do often persist regardless of effective medication. Nowadays, increasing interest concerning the efficacy and safety of chronic acid suppression with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), prompts a consideration for GERD treatment strategies related to the basic physiology of the lower esophageal sphincter, including modulation of its tone and ending of spontaneous transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation, which contributes to reflux. Together, the lower esophageal sphincter and the crural diaphragm represent the major antireflux barrier, protecting the esophagus from reflux of gastric content. In order to prevent the need for enduring PPIs therapy or surgical procedures, substitute therapeutics approaches are being researched. Recently, studies have focused on the response of the respiratory muscles to inspiratory muscle training. As a result, inspiratory muscle training has emerged as a potential alternative for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux. The present report reviews the physiologic factors contributing to GERD, and presents the newly developed therapies that can be applied either alone or in association with available efficient GERD therapy.

Refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition that develops when the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus causes troublesome symptoms, esophageal injury, and/or complications. Use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) remains the standard therapy for GERD and is effective in most patients. Those whose symptoms are refractory to PPIs should be evaluated further and other treatment options should be considered, according to individual patient characteristics. Response to PPIs could be total (no symptoms), partial (residual breakthrough symptoms), or absent (no change in symptoms). Patients experiencing complete response do not usually need further management. Patients with partial response can be treated surgically or by using emerging endoscopic therapies. Patients who exhibit no response to PPI need further evaluation to rule out other causes.

[Reflux and hiatus hernia in the controversy between conservative and operative therapy]

Approximately 20 % of the population are affected by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The subjective clinical and objective pathological extent of the disease is highly variable and the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms extraordinarily diverse. The importance of hiatus hernia for GERD has been intensively debated for decades. Hiatus hernia was initially considered to be at the center of the pathophysiology but later the function of the lower esophageal sphincter was increasingly considered to be of importance. Currently, additional relevant pathophysiological cofactors are being detected with the continuous improvement in diagnostic methods and used for therapeutic decision-making. Despite standardization of the operative technique and increasing criticism on long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy, antireflux surgery still requires a very critical assessment of indications based on a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation.