The aim of this study is to investigate whether a 3-week treatment with an oral melt in mouth medical device, made up with hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulphate and magnesium trisilicate, can lead to a reduction of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease symptoms and to an improvement of the integrity of esophageal mucosa in patients who are to experiencing esophagus symptoms. The study is a randomized, double-blind cross-over placebo controlled study. Every patient will get both the active study device during one study period and placebo during another another period.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
21
Melt in mouth tablets (1100 mg)
tablets with the same aspect of the active device
UZLeuven
Leuven, Belgium
Esophageal Impedance
Change between groups in baseline impedance value. Impedance baseline values will be assessed in two steady periods of 30 seconds at the beginning and at the end of consecutive time windows of 30 minutes, 60 minutes.
Time frame: 3 weeks
Esophageal acid exposure
Esophageal acid exposure assessed by 24-hour pH-impedance measurement
Time frame: 3 weeks
Esophageal permeability
Esophageal permeability assessed by transepithelial electrical resistance
Time frame: 3 weeks
Microscopic esophagitis
Microscopic esophagitis evidence at endoscopy assessed by Esohisto score. The score assesses the severity of esophagitis through a score for each parameter ranging from 0 to 2 (0=normal, 2=severe). Parameters are: Basal cell layer hyperplasia; Papillary elongation; Dilated intercellular spaces; Intraepithelial eosinophils; Intraepithelial neutrophils; Intraepithelial mononuclear cells
Time frame: 3 weeks
Intercellular spaces
The presence (on endoscopy) and severity of dilated intercellular spaces assessed by transmission electron microscopy.
Time frame: 3 weeks
The expression of tight junctions
The expression of tight junction proteins at RNA, protein and immunohistochemistry level
Time frame: 3 weeks
ReQuest Questionnaire score
Change in ReQuest score for GERD symptoms severity evaluated through ReQuest Questionnaire. ReQuest is a self-assessed, dimension-orientated scale designed to evaluate the treatment response in patients suffering from erosive GERD. It assesses seven dimensions of GERD (acid complaints, upper abdominal/stomach complaints, lower abdominal/ digestive complaints, nausea, sleep disturbances, other complaints and general well-being). The intensity is measured on a 100-mm visual analogue scale and the frequency (except general well-being) on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 to more than 10 times per day. It asks for the occurrence of symptom descriptions known to be typical of the corresponding dimension
Time frame: 3 weeks
Esophageal reflux episodes
Total number of reflux episodes and their proximal extent, number of acid reflux events and their duration.
Time frame: 3 weeks
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