Mesalazine with or without cholestyramine in the treatment of microscopic colitis: randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Collagenous colitis (CC) and lymphocytic colitis (LC) are chronic inflammatory diseases of the colon with a benign and sometimes relapsing course. Frequency among patients with chronic diarrhea and normal looking colonoscopy is around 10-15%. To date, treatment of CC and LC is not well defined. Data about these conditions are mostly derived from retrospective studies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the response to treatment and the clinical course of CC and LC in a large group of patients prospectively diagnosed. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 819 patients underwent a colonoscopy because of chronic watery diarrhea and among them we found 41 patients with LC and 23 with CC. These patients were later randomized and assigned to treatment with mesalazine or mesalazine + cholestyramine for 6 months. Fifty-four patients (84.37%) had resolved diarrhea in less than 2 weeks. After 6 months a colonoscopy with biopsies was repeated. Clinical and histological remission was achieved in 85.36% of patients with LC and in 91.3% with CC, with a better result in patients with CC treated with mesalazine + cholestyramine. During a mean period of 44.9 months, 13% of patients relapsed; four with LC and three with CC. They were retreated for another 6 months. At the end of this period one patient with CC was still symptomatic and persistence of CC was confirmed at histology. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with mesalazine seems to be an effective therapeutic option for LC to date, while mesalazine + cholestyramine seems to be more useful in the treatment of CC.

Reversibility of GERD ultrastructural alterations and relief of symptoms after omeprazole treatment.

BACKGROUND: Dilation of intercellular spaces (DIS) of human esophageal epithelium, evident at transmission electron microscopy (TEM), is an early marker of damage caused by gastroesophageal reflux, but its reversibility after therapy has not been investigated. AIM: To evaluate whether omeprazole can induce the healing of DIS. METHODS: Thirty-eight symptomatic patients, 22 with nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) and 16 with erosive esophagitis (EE), classified on the basis of 24-h pH monitoring, were enrolled. During upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, six biopsies from apparently normal mucosa were taken within the lower 5 cm of the esophagus for histological and TEM analysis. One hundred computer measurements were taken on TEM photomicrographs of the specimens in each patient. After 3 months of omeprazole 40 mg/die a further endoscopy with biopsies was performed. In patients with persistent heartburn and/or incomplete ultrastructural recovery of esophageal epithelium, a new endoscopy was performed after 3 more months of treatment. RESULTS: After 3 months of therapy, 35 patients (92.1%) showed a complete recovery of DIS and resolution of heartburn. Three patients required 3 more months of therapy because of an incomplete recovery of the epithelium correlated with sporadic heartburn. Healing of the mucosa was achieved in two patients, whereas one had an incomplete recovery of DIS with persistent heartburn. CONCLUSIONS: Three and six months of omeprazole therapy led to a complete recovery of DIS in 92.1% and 97.4% of cases, respectively. No significant differences of DIS between NERD and EE were noted. Complete recovery of DIS was accompanied by regression of heartburn in all cases.

Asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease: effect of long-term pantoprazole therapy.

AIM: To define the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in mild persistent asthma and to value the effect of pantoprazole therapy on asthmatic symptoms. METHODS: Seven of thirty-four asthmatic patients without GERD served as the non-GERD control group. Twenty-seven of thirty-four asthmatic patients had GERD (7/27 also had erosive esophagitis, sixteen of them presented GERD symptoms. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed in all the subjects to obtain five biopsy specimens from the lower 5 cm of the esophagus. Patients were considered to have GERD when they had a dilation of intercellular space (DIS) >0.74 mum at transmission electron microscopy. Patients with GERD were treated with pantoprazole, 80 mg/day. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was performed at entry and after 6 mo of treatment. Asthmatic symptoms were recorded. The required frequency of inhaling rapid acting beta2-agonists was self-recorded in the patients' diaries. RESULTS: Seven symptomatic patients presented erosive esophagitis. Among the 18 asymptomatic patients, 11 presented DIS, while all symptomatic patients showed ultrastructural esophageal damage. Seven asymptomatic patients did not present DIS. At entry the mean of FEV(1) was 1.91 L in symptomatic GERD patients and 1.88 L in asymptomatic GERD patients. After the treatment, 25 patients had a complete recovery of DIS and reflux symptoms. Twenty-three patients presented a regression of asthmatic symptoms with normalization of FEV(1). Four patients reported a significant improvement of symptoms and their FEV(1) was over 80%. CONCLUSION: GERD is a highly prevalent condition in asthma patients. Treatment with pantoprazole (80 mg/day) determines their improvement and complete regression.