[The relationship between oesophageal and gastric pH during 24-hours pH-metry in patients diagnosed with atypical chest pain].

UNLABELLED: Gastric secretion is the only source of hydrochloric acid influencing oesophageal and extraesophageal symptoms in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between gastric and oesophageal pH estimated by 24-hours pH-metry.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

We studied 93 men suffering from atypical chest pain. In all endoscopy with mucosa biopsy and simultaneous gastric and oesophageal 24-hours pH-metry using two-channel antimony probe with 15 cm distance of measurement ducts were performed.

RESULTS

Among studied patients 24 (26%) had pathological gastroesophageal acid reflux in pH-metry (above 4.5% of monitoring time with oesophageal pH<4). This patients group had higher percentage of monitoring time with gastric pH<4. but only with borderline statistical significance. We did not not find significant differences in values of gastric and oesophageal pH-metry parameters between patients group divided in relation to presence of endoscopic and histologic features of oesophagitis. We found only some significant, but weak correlations between gastric and oesophageal pH.

CONCLUSION

Only weak relationship occurring between gastric and oesophageal pH suggests more important role of some other factors in pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux and oesophageal mucosa injury.