ABSTRACT
Objective To study the different pathogenesis between non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease(NERD) and reflux esophagitis(RE).Methods 57 patients with regurgitation or heartburn from 1996 to 2004 were assessed in this study.Patients with esophageal mucosal break by endoscopy were regarded as the RE group,others as the NERD group.The clinical feature and whether complicating with H.pylori infection in both groups were reviewed and all patients underwent esophageal manometry and 24 hours esophageal/gastric pH monitoring.Results No differences of age?sex?smoking?drinking and Hp infection were found between the two groups.The incidence of the atypical reflux symptom (chest pain) in the NERD group was higher than in the RE group.There was pathologic acid reflux in both groups,but the two groups did not differ at reflux degree.Esophageal body peristaltic amplitude of the NERD group was higher than that of the RE group.Average gastric pH of the NERD group in supine was lower compared with the RE group.Conclusion In the NERD patients,the incidence of the atypical reflux symptom is more prevalent.It is the esophageal acid clearance not the reflux degree that plays an important role in the different pathogenesis between NERD and RE.