Faculty Collaboration Database

The presence of pepsin in the lung and its relationship to pathologic gastro-esophageal reflux. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2012 Feb;24(2):129-33, e84-5

Date

12/07/2011

Pubmed ID

22141343

Pubmed Central ID

PMC3307906

DOI

10.1111/j.1365-2982.2011.01826.x

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84855967292 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   52 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pepsin has been proposed as a biomarker of reflux-related lung disease. The goal of this study was to determine (i) if there is a higher reflux burden as measured by pH-MII in patients that are pepsin positive in the lung, and (ii) the sensitivity of pepsin in predicting pathologic reflux by pH, MII, and EGD.

METHODS: We recruited children between the ages of 1-21 with chronic cough or asthma undergoing bronchoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), and multichannel intraluminal impedance (pH-MII) probe placement. The reflux profiles were compared between those patients who were pepsin positive and negative; proportions were compared using Chi-squared analyses and means were compared using t-testing.

KEY RESULTS: Only the mean number of non-acid reflux events was associated with pepsin positivity (0.04). The sensitivity and specificity of pepsin in predicting pathologic reflux by pH-MII or EGD was 57% and 65%, respectively. The positive predictive value of pepsin in predicting pathologic reflux by pH, MII or EGD was 50% (11/22), and the negative predictive value was 71% (20/28). There was a significantly higher mean LLMI in patients who were pepsin positive compared with pepsin negative patients (81 ± 54 vs 47 ± 26, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Lung pepsin cannot predict pathologic reflux in the esophagus, but its correlation with lung inflammation suggests that pepsin may be an important biomarker for reflux-related lung disease.

Author List

Rosen R, Johnston N, Hart K, Khatwa U, Nurko S

Author

Nikki Johnston PhD Professor in the Otolaryngology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Child
Child, Preschool
Esophageal pH Monitoring
Female
Gastroesophageal Reflux
Humans
Infant
Lung
Male
Pepsin A
Predictive Value of Tests
Sensitivity and Specificity
Young Adult