Original Article
Chronic pharyngitis and the association with pepsin detection and reflux disease
Abstract
Background: Pepsin is a biomarker for reflux disease and a major etiological factor in laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Do chronic pharyngitis patients have significant concentrations of pepsin present in saliva samples indicating the presence of reflux disease?
Methods: Thirty-two patients with chronic pharyngitis symptoms and laryngoscopy findings from the reflux finding score (RFS), indicating chronic pharyngitis, were recruited from an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department. A total of 96 patient saliva samples were analysed for the presence of pepsin. Reflux questionnaires assessed the symptoms of reflux [reflux symptom index (RSI), RFS, and reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ)] and, the non-invasive reflux diagnostic device PeptestTM was used to determine the concentration of pepsin present in the patient’s saliva samples. PeptestTM uses lateral flow technology and contains two unique human anti-pepsin monoclonal antibodies fully validated and sensitive for the detection of pepsin in saliva.
Results: In total, 78% of chronic pharyngitis patients had medium to high concentrations of pepsin (>75 ng/mL) in their saliva samples. In chronic pharyngitis patients 81% were found to have a positive pepsin concentration in post-prandial samples, compared to the control, where 32% were found to have a positive pepsin concentration.
Conclusions: A correlation was shown between the presence of pepsin and the presence of chronic pharyngitis. 78% of chronic pharyngitis patients were shown to have medium to high concentrations of pepsin in their saliva samples and 81% had a positive pepsin concentration in post-prandial samples. PeptestTM demonstrated good diagnostic potential and as a non-invasive, rapid and easy to use test, it will play an important role as a first line reflux diagnostic.
Methods: Thirty-two patients with chronic pharyngitis symptoms and laryngoscopy findings from the reflux finding score (RFS), indicating chronic pharyngitis, were recruited from an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department. A total of 96 patient saliva samples were analysed for the presence of pepsin. Reflux questionnaires assessed the symptoms of reflux [reflux symptom index (RSI), RFS, and reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ)] and, the non-invasive reflux diagnostic device PeptestTM was used to determine the concentration of pepsin present in the patient’s saliva samples. PeptestTM uses lateral flow technology and contains two unique human anti-pepsin monoclonal antibodies fully validated and sensitive for the detection of pepsin in saliva.
Results: In total, 78% of chronic pharyngitis patients had medium to high concentrations of pepsin (>75 ng/mL) in their saliva samples. In chronic pharyngitis patients 81% were found to have a positive pepsin concentration in post-prandial samples, compared to the control, where 32% were found to have a positive pepsin concentration.
Conclusions: A correlation was shown between the presence of pepsin and the presence of chronic pharyngitis. 78% of chronic pharyngitis patients were shown to have medium to high concentrations of pepsin in their saliva samples and 81% had a positive pepsin concentration in post-prandial samples. PeptestTM demonstrated good diagnostic potential and as a non-invasive, rapid and easy to use test, it will play an important role as a first line reflux diagnostic.
