Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of salivary pepsin and oropharyngeal pH-monitoring to assess the surgical outcome of patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).
Materials and methods: Twenty consecutive patients with LPR despite proton pump inhibitor treatment received laparoscopic antireflux surgery. Twenty-four hour esophageal pH-monitoring (multichannel intraluminal impedance monitoring [MII]-pH) and esophageal manometry (high-resolution manometry) data were documented preoperatively and at 3-month follow-up. An ears, nose and throat (ENT) examination was performed, including assessment of Belafsky Reflux Finding Score (RFS). Clinical symptoms were evaluated with the Belafsky Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI). Simultaneous to the MII-pH and collection of saliva samples, detection of oropharyngeal reflux events was performed. Treatment failure was defined as postoperative pathologic RFS or RSI score and improvement of GIQLI of <10 points, despite showing a normal DeMeester score.
Results: At baseline, all patients had a pathological ENT examination, RSI score, and MII-pH data. All patients showed postoperatively a normal DeMeester score (mean 6.39 ± 4.87). Five patients were defined as treatment failures with a change of pepsin concentration from median 157.0 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0-422) to 180.7 (95% CI: 0-500). In patients defined as treatment success, median pepsin value decreased from 206.3 (95% CI: 89-278) to 76.0 (95% CI: 55-205); (P = .093). Oropharyngeal pH-monitoring data showed no significant change in both groups.
Conclusion: Salivary pepsin could be a marker for treatment success, while oropharyngeal pH-monitoring seems to be inadequate in these terms. However, larger studies are required to reach firm conclusions.
Keywords: GERD; laryngopharyngeal reflux; oropharyngeal pH-monitoring; pepsin in saliva.