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Biomedical subjects

Jean Paul Galmiche

Publications and source records attributed to Jean Paul Galmiche.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Rabeprazole test for the diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: results of a study in a primary care setting.

AIM: To determine the diagnostic value of the rabeprazole test in patients seen by general practitioners. METHODS: Eighty-three patients with symptoms suggestive of GERD were enrolled by general practitioners in this multi-centre, randomized and double-blind study. All patients received either rabeprazole (20 mg bid) or a placebo for one week. The diagnosis of GERD was established on the presence of mucosal breaks at endoscopy and/or an abnormal esophageal 24-h pH test. The test was considered to be positive if patients reported at least a "clear improvement" of symptoms on a 7-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The sensitivities of the test for rabeprazole and the placebo were 83% and 40%, respectively. The corresponding specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 45% and 67%, 71% and 71%, and 62% and 35%, respectively. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis confirmed that the best discriminatory cut-off corresponded to description of "clear improvement". CONCLUSION: The poor specificity of the proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) test does not support such an approach to establish a diagnosis of GERD in a primary care setting.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

Functional esophageal disorders.

Functional esophageal disorders represent processes accompanied by typical esophageal symptoms (heartburn, chest pain, dysphagia, globus) that are not explained by structural disorders, histopathology-based motor disturbances, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the preferred diagnosis when reflux esophagitis or excessive esophageal acid exposure is present or when symptoms are closely related to acid reflux events or respond to antireflux therapy. A singular, well-defined pathogenetic mechanism is unavailable for any of these disorders; combinations of sensory and motor abnormalities involving both central and peripheral neural dysfunction have been invoked for some. Treatments remain empirical, although the efficacy of several interventions has been established in the case of functional chest pain. Management approaches that modulate central symptom perception or amplification often are required once local provoking factors (eg, noxious esophageal stimuli) have been eliminated. Future research directions include further determination of fundamental mechanisms responsible for symptoms, development of novel management strategies, and definition of the most cost-effective diagnostic and treatment approaches.

Animals↗

Non-erosive reflux disease and atypical gastro-oesophageal reflux disease manifestations: treatment results.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a widespread complex disorder that may be responsible for a variety of different symptoms and clinical features. Despite the presence of symptoms, the majority of patients do not have endoscopic lesions of oesophagitis. Non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) is a chronic, relapsing condition that can adversely affect the quality of life despite the absence of mucosal breaks at endoscopy. In many patients GERD is associated with extra-oesophageal or atypical manifestations, including cough, asthma, laryngitis or non-cardiac chest pain. Acid suppression with proton pump inhibitors (PPI) remains the mainstay of GERD therapy. However, patients with NERD and extra-oesophageal manifestations are often poorly responsive to PPI therapy. Accurate diagnosis followed by adequate PPI dosage and compliance with therapy are essential for the successful control of NERD and extra-oesophageal manifestations. The better detection and characterization of acid and non-acid reflux episodes using developing technologies, such as combined pH-impedance monitoring, is extending our understanding of the pathophysiology of NERD and the extra-oesophageal manifestations of GERD, and will lead to the improved management of these often poorly responsive conditions. This article reviews the treatment results and outlines approaches to the evaluation, diagnosis and therapy of NERD and atypical GERD manifestations.

Asthma↗

Pharmacological targets in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Although proton pump inhibitors have become the mainstay of treatment in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), there are still unmet needs in the management of this very common disorder. For example, all current proton pump inhibitors have a relatively slow onset of action and their activity is limited mainly to the post-prandial period with far less effective inhibition of nocturnal acid secretion. In order to achieve more potent, rapid and sustained acid inhibition several compounds are currently under development, such as new proton pump inhibitors with a prolonged plasma half-life, potassium competitive ATPase blockers (PCABs), histamine H3 agonists, and gastrin antagonists. Acid suppression does not, however, cure the disease and relapses are frequently observed after discontinuation of proton pump inhibitor therapy. Among the different abnormalities involved in the pathophysiology of this multifactorial disease, transient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxations represent the major mechanism responsible for episodes of reflux. Baclofen, the prototype GABA(B) receptor agonist, is one of the most potent inhibitors of transient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxations identified. To date the transfer of these relaxation-controlling pharmacological agents into clinical practice has however been hampered by the occurrence of unacceptable side effects. Beside "anti-relaxation therapy", the potential of novel prokinetics such as motilin agonists has been explored, especially since the motilin receptor has been cloned. Thus far the broad therapeutic value of prokinetics in GORD does, however, seem very limited in terms of efficacy with respect to oesophageal motility and acid exposure. Lastly, further research is necessary to better understand the complex mechanisms involved in oesophageal sensitivity and mucosal defence.

Animals↗

Treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease in adults: an individualized approach.

Until the 1990s, most therapeutic trials in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) focussed upon endoscopic lesions. In fact the correlation between patient symptoms and both the presence and grade of esophagitis is very poor. The classical criteria for the assessment of therapeutic efficacy in GERD have therefore been revised, and there is now a consensus that the relief of symptoms and the long-term control of the disease are the primary aims of therapy for the majority of patients. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) represent the mainstay of therapy for patients with non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) as well as esophagitis. Although a stepwise strategy has been recommended in the past, a step-down strategy (starting with a full-dose PPI) appears to be a more cost-effective approach. There are as yet insufficient data to establish the clear superiority of one PPI over others. PPIs have a number of limitations. Symptom relief is significantly inferior in NERD than in erosive esophagitis. The heterogeneity of the NERD group may be one of the most influential factors, but the role of esophageal hypersensitivity has been suggested especially in patients with normal acid exposure. The role of non-acid reflux should also be scrutinized. Long-term control of the disease can be achieved by drug therapy, anti-reflux surgery and now with a variety of endoscopic procedures. The different drug management strategies can be divided into (i) continuous maintenance therapy and (ii) discontinuous therapy which can again be divided into two categories, intermittent and on-demand drug therapy. A case-by-case approach is recommended to determine the personal therapeutic needs and preferences of each individual. Many patients with NERD or mild esophagitis do not require continuous maintenance therapy and recent studies have shown excellent results with different PPI on-demand therapy regimens. Finally when making a choice between different long-term strategies both the clinician and the informed patient have to consider efficacy, safety, tolerability and cost. The potential efficacy of new drugs, especially the GABA(B) agonists and the fast onset acid suppressors, as well as the cost-effectiveness of non-drug strategies (surgery and endoluminal therapies) should be further evaluated.

Anti-Ulcer Agents↗

Endoluminal therapies for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

CONTEXT: Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a common chronic disorder that has severe impact on quality of life and often requires continuous acid-suppression therapy. Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are extremely effective but expensive, and do not restore the normal antireflux barrier at the gastro-oesophageal junction. Antireflux surgery, even with the laparoscopic approach, has not proven more cost-effective than maintenance therapy with PPIs. Postoperative morbidity is substantial, especially when procedures are done outside expert centres. In the past few years several endoscopic techniques have been developed to treat chronic GORD on an outpatient basis. These techniques include radiofrequency-energy delivery and endoscopic suturing, although other approaches are now under development. STARING POINT: Two prospective open-label studies have recently reported 1-year follow-up of GORD patients treated either by radiofrequency-energy delivery (G Triadafilopoulos and colleagues Gastrointest Endosc 2002; 55:149-56) or endoscopic suturing (Z Mahmood and colleagues Gut 2003; 52:34-39). In a US multicentre trial, Triadafilopoulos and colleagues delivered radiofrequency energy to the cardia and distal oesophagus in patients with chronic heartburn, regurgitation or both (the Stretta procedure). All patients were on continuous acid-suppression therapy, but none had severe oesophagitis or hiatus hernia of more than 2 cm. At 12 months, 94 patients available for follow-up showed significant improvement in GORD symptoms, quality of life, and oesophageal acid-exposure. The need for PPI therapy fell from 98% to 30% of patients. In the Mahmood study, 26 similar patients had endoscopic suturing in a single centre. After 1 year, symptoms and quality of life improved and the need for PPIs was reduced to 36% from 100%. In both studies, only minor complications occurred, none of which required specific therapeutic intervention. WHERE NEXT? An effective outpatient procedure to treat chronic GORD would represent a major step forward. However, further studies are needed before an endoscopic approach can be adopted, as none of the published trials are well-controlled studies. Longer follow-up is needed to ensure that relapses do not occur rapidly, complications do not occur more frequently with less skilled operators, or that endoscopic-induced changes do not complicate or compromise subsequent antireflux surgery. Comparative studies of the cost-effectiveness of endoscopic therapy should also include medical strategies such as intermittent or on-demand PPI therapy.

Anti-Ulcer Agents↗

Colonic fermentation influences lower esophageal sphincter function in gastroesophageal reflux disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Colonic fermentation of carbohydrates is known to influence gastric and esophageal motility in healthy subjects. This study investigated the effects of colonic fermentation induced by oral administration of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). METHODS: In the cross-over design used in the study, 9 patients with symptomatic GERD were administered a low-residue diet (i.e., 10 g fiber/day) during 2, 7-day periods, receiving either 6.6 g of FOS or placebo 3 times daily after meals. Each period was separated by a wash out of at least 3 weeks. On day 7, esophageal motility and pH were recorded in fasting conditions and after a test meal containing 6.6 g of FOS or placebo. Breath hydrogen concentrations (reflecting colonic fermentation) and plasma concentrations of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), peptide YY, and cholecystokinin were monitored. RESULTS: Compared with placebo, FOS led to a significant increase in the number of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs) and reflux episodes, esophageal acid exposure, and the symptom score for GERD. The integrated plasma response of GLP-1 was significantly higher after FOS than placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Colonic fermentation of indigestible carbohydrates increases the rate of TLESRs, the number of acid reflux episodes, and the symptoms of GERD. Although different mechanisms are likely to be involved, excess release of GLP-1 may account, at least in part, for these effects.

Administration, Oral↗

Early diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma.

The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has increased dramatically in developed countries during the past 2 decades, and prognosis remains very poor. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is an important risk factor for this cancer that develops in patients with specialized esophageal metaplasia (Barrett's esophagus). Careful periodic endoscopic examinations, with random biopsy sampling of the entire mucosal surface, are usually recommended for the surveillance of these patients. Several innovative techniques have recently been developed to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and early adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus. Some of these techniques (eg, chromoendoscopy, magnifying endoscopy, and light-induced fluorescence endoscopy) are intended to identify suspicious areas of the mucosa not visible during conventional endoscopic examination and to perform targeted biopsies toward these areas to avoid sampling errors. Optical coherence tomography and confocal laser scanning microscopy are other powerful techniques that provide real-time cross-sectional tissue images at a resolution close to that of histology. They allow tissue characterization based solely on optical properties and are likely to replace excisional biopsies. Although promising, none of these techniques is currently recommendable for routine surveillance of patients with Barrett's esophagus. Further evaluation is warranted to define the optimal method and standardize the procedures.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Effects of bronchial obstruction on lower esophageal sphincter motility and gastroesophageal reflux in patients with asthma.

The relationship between gastroesophageal reflux and asthma remains unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of bronchial obstruction on lower esophageal sphincter (LES) motility and reflux in patients with asthma. LES motility and esophageal pH were assessed in eight subjects with intermittent asthma and eight healthy volunteers during three consecutive 30-minute periods: baseline, methacholine-induced bronchospasm, and after inhalation of the beta2-agonist salbutamol. Healthy subjects inhaled 2 mg of methacholine, whereas subjects with asthma inhaled the dose of methacholine causing a 15% fall in FEV(1), as determined by a previous methacholine challenge. LES motility, esophageal pH, and FEV(1) were not significantly different between the three periods in healthy subjects. In patients with asthma, methacholine induced a 21.9 +/- 2.6% decrease in FEV(1) and a concomitant increase in the rate of transient LES relaxation (TLESR) and reflux episodes. Inhalation of salbutamol decreased the rate of TLESRs but not the number of reflux episodes. We conclude that in patients with asthma, methacholine-induced bronchospasm increases the rate of TLESR and the number of reflux episodes. These results support the belief that, in asthma, bronchial obstruction may be responsible for reflux or may aggravate reflux through a mechanism that remains to be further clarified.

Adult↗

Gastric electrical stimulation in intractable symptomatic gastroparesis.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of gastroparesis remains unsatisfactory despite prokinetic and anti-emetic drugs. Gastric electrical stimulation has been proposed as a therapeutic option. We have assessed the effect of gastric electrical stimulation on symptoms, medical treatment, body weight and gastric emptying in patients with intractable symptomatic gastroparesis in a non-placebo-controlled study. METHODS: In this multicenter study, 38 highly symptomatic patients with drug-refractory gastroparesis were enrolled. Patients first received temporary electrical stimulation using percutaneous electrodes. The 33 responders to temporary stimulation then underwent surgical implantation of a permanent stimulator. Severity of vomiting and nausea was assessed before and after stimulation. Patients were reassessed 3, 6, and 12 months after permanent implantation. RESULTS: With stimulation, 35/38 patients (97%) experienced >80% reduction in vomiting and nausea. This effect persisted throughout the observation period (2.9-15.6 months, 341 patient-months). Gastric emptying did not initially change, but improved in most patients at 12 months. At 1 year, the average weight gain was 5.5% and 9/14 patients initially receiving enteral or parenteral nutrition were able to discontinue it. CONCLUSION: Electrical stimulation of the stomach has an immediate and potent anti-emetic effect. It offers a safe and effective alternative for patients with intractable symptomatic gastroparesis.

Adolescent↗