Can pepsin immunohistochemical staining of laryngeal lesions accurately diagnose non-acid laryngeal reflux?

BackgroundNon-acid reflux is the most common form of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). However, the damage caused by non-acid reflux to the laryngeal mucosa is weaker than that caused by acid reflux.AimsTo evaluate whether pepsin immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of laryngeal lesions can accurately diagnose acidic and non-acidic LPR.Materials and MethodsHypopharyngeal-esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring was performed, and the patients were divided into acid reflux and non-acid reflux groups. Pathological sections of laryngeal lesions were examined using pepsin IHC staining, which was positive when pepsin was detected in the cytoplasm.ResultsThe study included 136 patients, with 58 in the acid reflux group, 43 in the non-acid reflux group, and 35 in the without reflux group. There were no significant differences in the positive rate of pepsin IHC staining between the non-acid and acid reflux groups (p = .421). The sensitivity of pepsin IHC staining for the diagnosis of acid and non-acid reflux was 94.8% and 90.7%, respectively.ConclusionsThe sensitivity of pepsin IHC staining for laryngeal lesions in the diagnosis of non-acidic LPR is satisfactory.SignificancePepsin IHC staining is suitable for LPR screening of patients with laryngeal lesions as it is economical, non-invasive, and highly sensitive.