OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between esophageal motor functional disorder [decreased lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP)and ineffective motility (IEM)] and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

METHODSTotally 89 patients with GERD were enrolled in this study. All of them underwent 24-hour pH monitoring with dual-channel probe and stationary esophageal manometry. In addition, 77 of these patients underwent upper endoscopy.

RESULTSIEM and LES, 10 mmHg were common disturbances in patients with GERD (54% and 48%, respectively). The number of the acid reflux events of distal esophagus and prevalence of moderate or severe erosive esophagitis (EE) were significantly higher in patients with low LESP and IEM than patients without low LESP ( P<0.05). The number of the acid reflux events in distal esophagus was significantly correlated with the severity of esophagitis, distal esophagus amplitude, and LESP, while no such correlation was found between IEM and degree of esophageal acid exposure or esophagitis.

CONCLUSIONSThe pathophysiology of GERD is probably multifactorial. Lower LESP or IEM is not a independent pathophysiological factor for GERD. However,one single factor is insufficient to explain all the pathogenic mechanism of GERD.