Simultaneously monitoring acid and bile reflux in 85 patients with reflux esophagitis

Objective: To study the incidence of acid and bile reflux in patients with reflux esophagitis(RE) and to evaluate the significance of detecting bile reflux in diagnosing RE. Methods: Using ambulatory 24 h pH monitoring bilirubin monitoring techniques, we simultaneously assessed the changes of intra esophgeal pH and bile reflux during 24 h in 105 subjects(including 85 patients with RE and 20 volunteers). Results: The time of esophageal acid exposure(pH4) for RE patients was significantly greater than that for controls. Bile reflux, represented by total percentage time of bilirubin absorbance≥ 0.14 , was significantly greater for RE patients than that for controls. Neither acid nor bile reflux had difference between male and female. In RE patients, 62.4% had both acid and bile reflux; 30.6%, acid reflux; 3.5% , bile reflux; 3.5%, no reflux. Conclusion: Both acid and bile reflux are very common in RE patients and both may play roles in the development of RE. Simultaneously monitoring acid and bile reflux is very important in diagnosing RE. [