Helicobacter pylori seropositivity predicts outcomes of acid suppression therapy for laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms.

OBJECTIVES

Although an inverse relationship has been reported between the rates of reflux esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori infection in Japan, infection rates among patients complaining of laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms, such as abnormal laryngopharyngeal sensation, chronic coughing, and hoarseness, have not previously been investigated. The effects of H. pylori infection on outcomes of acid suppression therapy have not been studied.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

We investigated the relationships between H. pylori antibody positivity, laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms, objective laryngopharyngeal findings, and rate of response to acid-suppression therapy in 42 subjects who were diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, using upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and were assayed for the serum H. pylori antibody.

RESULTS

The incidence of H. pylori antibody positivity in the targeted patient group was 59.5%. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the laryngopharyngeal symptom-improvement rate, measured using the symptom score, was significantly lower for H. pylori antibody-negative cases than for H. pylori antibody-positive cases (30.0 vs. 84.6%; P = .002) 60 days after the start of acid-suppression therapy. No significant differences in the esophageal symptom-improvement rate were noted between the two groups (76.2 vs. 89.5%; P = .576)

CONCLUSIONS

By focusing on the involvement of H. pylori infection in laryngopharyngeal reflux, we determined the relationships between H. pylori antibody positivity and response to acid-suppression therapy among patients. The laryngopharyngeal, not esophageal, symptom relief by acid-suppression therapy was significantly lower among H. pylori antibody-negative cases than among antibody-positive cases.