Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Oesophagus

Symptom perception in patients with NERD: do nerves matter?

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 14, pages 634–636 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Various mechanisms eliciting symptoms in GERD and its most common phenotypic presentation, nonerosive reflux disease (NERD), have been suspected and investigated. One study now suggests that superficial nerves in the oesophageal epithelium might have a key role in the pathogenesis of NERD and could represent a potential target for topical therapies.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Savarino, E. et al. The natural history of gastro-esophageal reflux disease: a comprehensive review. Dis. Esophagus 30, 1–9 (2017).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Savarino, E., Zentilin, P. & Savarino, V. NERD: an umbrella term including heterogeneous subpopulations. Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 10, 371–380 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Barlow, W. J., Orlando, R.C. The pathogenesis of heartburn in nonerosive reflux disease: a unifying hypothesis. Gastroenterology 128, 771–778 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Dunbar, K. B. et al. Association of acute gastroesophageal reflux disease with esophageal histologic changes. JAMA 315, 2104–2112 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Smout, A. J., Geus, W. P., Mulder, P. G., Stockbrugger, R. W. & Lamers, C. B. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in the Netherlands. Results of a multicentre pH study. Scand. J. Gastroenterol. Suppl. 218, 10–15 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Savarino, E. et al. Microscopic esophagitis distinguishes patients with non-erosive reflux disease from those with functional heartburn. J. Gastroenterol. 48, 473–482 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Woodland, P. et al. Superficial esophageal mucosal afferent nerves may contribute to reflux hypersensitivity in non-erosive reflux disease. Gastroenterology http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2017.07.017 (2017).

  8. Woodland, P. et al. Distinct afferent innervation patterns within the human proximal and distal esophageal mucosa. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 308, G525–G531 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Krarup, A. L., Olesen, S. S., Funch-Jensen, P., Gregersen, H. & Drewes, A. M. Proximal and distal esophageal sensitivity is decreased in patients with Barrett's esophagus. World J. Gastroenterol. 17, 514–521 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Savarino, E. et al. A review of pharmacotherapy for treating gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Expert Opin. Pharmacother. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14656566.2017.1361407 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua, 35128, Italy

    Edoardo Savarino & Marco della Coletta

Authors
  1. Edoardo Savarino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marco della Coletta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edoardo Savarino.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Savarino, E., Coletta, M. Symptom perception in patients with NERD: do nerves matter?. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 14, 634–636 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2017.120

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2017.120

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing