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Abstract
Background/Aims
Obesity is associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Leptin is a hormone which controls appetite and energy homeostasis. Alterations of its level in humans have been linked with obesity and related carcinogenesis. We postulated that the leptin level in plasma or tissues might be different according to the phenotype of GERD. We evaluated this hormone in patients with non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and reflux esophagitis (RE) with demographic characteristics to confirm the postulation.
Methods
The patients with typical GERD symptoms such as acid regurgitation and heartburn were prospectively enrolled and evaluated. The demographic data included body mass index, waist circumference, smoking, and the consumption of coffee. Rapid ure-ase test was done to evaluate the status of Helicobacter pylori infection. We measured plasma leptin level along with the tissue level, which was obtained from the fundus of stomach.
Results
A total of 44 patients were evaluated (RE 20 cases, NERD 24 cases). No demographic data was different between the two groups, except waist circumference (mean 88.6 cm in RE, 80.9 cm in NERD, p=0.006), smoking (45% in RE, 12.5% in NERD, p=0.021) and coffee consumption (85% in RE, 50% in NERD, p=0.025). The level of plasma leptin was not different between the two groups. The level of tissue leptin was also not different between the two groups with an increasing tendency in RE (mean 32.5 ng/mL vs. 28.0 ng/mL in NERD).
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Table 1.
Clinical Characteristics of the Study Patients according to the Presence of Esophageal Mucosal Break
Table 2.
Mean Plasma and Fundic Leptin Levels of the Study Patients according to the Presence of Esophageal Mucosal Break
| Leptin | RE (n=20) | NERD (n=24) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plasma (ng/mL) (SD) | 72.3 (78.3) | 55.8 (52.9) | 0.41 |
| Fundus (ng/mL) (SD) | 32.5 (13.4) | 28.0 (8.9) | 0.19 |
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