Current concepts about influence of thyroid gland hormones on the development and course of gastro-esophageal reflux disease

Abstract

The problem of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains one of the most relevant in modern gastroenterology. In recent decades, there has been a tendency to increase in the incidence of GERD especially among young people. Symptoms of GERD occur in almost half of the adult population. The main symptom of GERD — intermittent heartburn, which significantly reduces the quality of life, noted in up to 40% of residents of industrialized countries. However, the real prevalence of GERD in the population has not been studied enough due to the low rate of medical treatment seeking, frequent asymptomatic course as well as the course of the disease under masks, the so-called «esophageal» manifestations. At the same time, the number of patients with GERD with combined pathology is growing. One such disease is autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT). AIT — is one of the most common diseases of the thyroid gland. Autoimmune inflammatory process in the thyroid gland leads to the constant production of autoantibodies to thyroperoxidase or thyroglobulin and further leads to permanent destruction of the thyroid gland with the subsequent development of hypothyroidism. Early diagnosis of AIT allows to timely treatment and maintains thyroid function. Both of these diseases have several common pathogenetic mechanisms, the main of which are thyroid hormones that regulate motility and secretion of the gastrointestinal tract. The comorbid course of these pathologies aggravates and modifies the clinical picture each other. For today, the role of thyroid hormones in the mechanism of formation of motor-secretory disorders in patients with GERD with concomitant AIT, their impact on the peculiarities of the formation of psychosomatic status, as well as gender features of GERD and AIT remains unexplored.