[Barret's esophagus and acid gastroesophageal reflux. Two-channel pH-metric measurements and manometric study].

Although the pathogenic role of gastroesophageal reflux in Barrett's esophagus (BE) is now widely accepted, the pattern of pH profile in the esophagus of patients with BE is not well documented. The aim of this study was to assess the severity and "extent" of acid exposure in patients with BE using an automated single or two-channel 24-hour pH monitoring system. Eighteen patients with histologically proven BE were compared with 3 other groups: a) 100 patients with clinical symptoms and pHmetrically proven acid reflux divided in 2 sub-groups: 38 patients without esophagitis at endoscopy, and 62 patients with esophagitis (Savary-Miller classification; grade I: n = 24, grade II: n = 27, grade III: n = 8, grade IV: n = 3) and b) 9 healthy volunteers. In 17 patients with BE, and in 14 patients with reflux and healthy volunteers, 2 electrodes were placed 5 (electrode E1) and 10 cm (electrode E2) above the lower esophageal sphincter. In the other patients, pH was monitored using a single pH electrode (E1) only. The mucosal acid exposure at E1 (percentage of time below pH 4 on total period, day and night), the number of reflux episodes longer than 5 min were significantly higher in the BE group when compared with the other groups. The number of patients with abnormal acid exposure at E2 was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) in the BE group (15/17 cases) than in the reflux group (5/14 cases). The mean duration of acid reflux was significantly longer in BE than in other groups at both recording sites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)