The added value of magnifying endoscopy in diagnosing patients with certain gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Purpose: In most cases gastroesophageal reflux disease proceeds without macroscopic erosions in the esophagus. We aimed to clarify if abnormalities detectable in magnifying endoscopy may offer additional diagnostic criteria for gastroesophageal reflux disease and to what histopathologic structures do they correspond.

Patients/methods: Esophageal mucosa above and below Z-line was evaluated under x115 magnification in 67 gastroesophageal reflux disease patients (11 with erosive reflux disease, 28 with Barrett's esophagus, 28 with nonerosive reflux disease) and in 12 patients without gastroesophageal reflux disease (negative control group).

The effect of omeprazole treatment on the gut microflora and neutrophil function.

Background And Aim: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may increase the risk of Clostridium difficile infections. There are interactions between gut microbiota and innate immune cells including neutrophils. We evaluated the effect of treatment with omeprazole on the gut microflora and neutrophil function.

The effect of short-term oral treatment with omeprazole or pantoprazole on the function of polymorphonuclear neutrophils.

Recent studies report an increased risk of enteric infections in patients treated with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) play a key role in host response to bacterial infection. We evaluated the effect of omeprazole and pantoprazole treatment on the PMN function.