Esophageal Mucosal Impedance Assessment for the Diagnosis of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Background/Aims Diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is sometimes challenging because the performance of available tests is not entirely satisfactory. This study aims to directly measure the esophageal mucosal impedance during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for the diagnosis of GERD. Methods Sixty participants with typical symptoms of GERD underwent high-resolution esophageal manometry, 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and mucosal impedance measurement. Mucosal impedance measurement was performed at 2, 5, 10, and 18 cm above the esophagogastric junction during gastrointestinal endoscopy using a specific catheter developed based on devices described in the literature over the last decade. The patients were divided into groups A (acid exposure time < 4%) and B (acid exposure time >= 4%). Results The mucosal impedance was significantly lower in group B at 2 cm (2264.4 Omega +/- 1099.0 vs 4575.0 Omega +/- 1407.6 [group A]) and 5 cm above the esophagogastric junction (4221.2 Omega +/- 2623.7 vs 5888.2 Omega +/- 2529.4 [group A]). There was no significant difference in the mucosal impedance between the 2 groups at 10 cm and 18 cm above the esophagogastric junction. Mucosal impedance value at 2 cm > 2970 Omega resulted in a sensitivity of 96.4% and a specificity of 87.5% to exclude GERD. Conclusions Direct measurement of mucosal impedance during endoscopy is a simple and promising method for diagnosing GERD. Individuals with an abnormal acid exposure time have lower mucosal impedance measurements than those with a normal acid exposure time.