Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Diagnosis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients Using the Pepsin Salivary Test

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2019-06, Vol.16 (11), p.2056
• Main Authors: Iannella, Giannicola, Vicini, Claudio, Polimeni, Antonella, Greco, Antonio, Gobbi, Riccardo, Montevecchi, Filippo, De Vito, Andrea, Meccariello, Giuseppe, Cammaroto, Giovanni, D'Agostino, Giovanni, Pace, Annalisa, Cascella, Raffaella, Brunori, Marco, Lo Iacono, Cristina Anna Maria, Pelucchi, Stefano, Magliulo, Giuseppe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Air flow; Apnea; Body Mass Index; Clinical medicine; Diagnosis; Diagnostic software; Diagnostic systems; Employment; Endoscopy; Female; Humans; Laryngopharyngeal Reflux - complications; Laryngopharyngeal Reflux - diagnosis; Linear Models; Male; Medical equipment; Middle Aged; Pathology; Patients; Pepsin; Pepsin A - analysis; Questionnaires; Saliva - chemistry; Sleep; Sleep apnea; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - complications; Sleep disorders; Studies
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16112056

To investigate the presence of laryngopharyngeal reflux in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) employing the salivary pepsin concentration method. To compare the results of pepsin concentration with the severity of the pathology. Seventy-five OSA patients (44 males, 31 females) were enrolled in the study. For each patient, the AHI (apnea-hypopnea index) and the BMI (body mass index) were initially evaluated. All the patients enrolled were assessed using the reflux symptom index (RSI) and the reflux finding score (RFS) in order to perform a clinical diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux. In all patients a salivary sample was taken to estimate the presence of pepsin and its concentration. The incidence of LPR (laryngopharyngeal reflux) in OSA patients, evaluated using the salivary pepsin concentration test (PEP-test), was found to be 32% of cases. Linear regression testing did not show any correlation between AHI and pepsin concentration in salivary samples ( = 0.1). A high number of patients with OSA seem to show positivity for salivary pepsin, correlated to an LPR. There does not appear to be a correlation between the severity of apnea and the grade of salivary pepsin reflux. On the other hand, direct correlation between BMI and the value of pepsin in salivary specimens was observed.