Martinucci I, Bortoli N, Giacchino M, Bodini G, Marabotto E, Marchi S, Savarino V, Savarino E. Esophageal motility abnormalities in gastroesophageal reflux disease. World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther 2014; 5(2): 86-96 [PMID: 24868489 DOI: 10.4292/wjgpt.v5.i2.86]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Edoardo Savarino, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padua, Italy. edoardo.savarino@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. May 6, 2014; 5(2): 86-96 Published online May 6, 2014. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v5.i2.86
Esophageal motility abnormalities in gastroesophageal reflux disease
Irene Martinucci, Nicola de Bortoli, Maria Giacchino, Giorgia Bodini, Elisa Marabotto, Santino Marchi, Vincenzo Savarino, Edoardo Savarino
Irene Martinucci, Nicola de Bortoli, Santino Marchi, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Maria Giacchino, Vincenzo Savarino, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy
Giorgia Bodini, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy
Elisa Marabotto, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy
Edoardo Savarino, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy
Author contributions: Martinucci I, de Bortoli N, Giacchino M, Bodini G, Marabotto E, Marchi S, Savarino V and Savarino E contributed to the design of the study, analysis and interpretation of the data, drafting of the article, critical revision of the article for important intellectual content and final approval of the article.
Correspondence to: Edoardo Savarino, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padua, Italy. edoardo.savarino@gmail.com
Telephone: +39-049-8217749 Fax: +39-010-8760820
Received: October 19, 2013 Revised: January 2, 2014 Accepted: January 15, 2014 Published online: May 6, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Esophageal motility abnormalities are among the main factors implicated in the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease. In particular, transient lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxations, hypotensive LES, ineffective esophageal peristalsis and bolus transit abnormalities have been strongly implicated in gastroesophageal reflux disease development. Moreover, recent findings suggest that these abnormalities are increasingly prevalent with increasing severity of reflux disease. Currently, surgery represents the only reliable way to restore the esophagogastric junction integrity and to reduce transient LES relaxations. On that ground, more in depth future studies assessing the pathogenetic role of dysmotility in patients with reflux disease are warranted.
