Depression, Hematologic Parameters, and Blood Levels of Vitamin B(12) in Patients With Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Under Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate and correlate hematologic indices, vitamin B(12) levels, and depression in patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) treated with proton pump inhibitor (PPI). METHODS: This was a prospective study with a population (n = 23) consisted of patients with suspected LPR and treated with 2 daily doses of Omeprazole 40 mg (80 mg or full dose). The study volunteers performed a complete blood count and vitamin B(12) dosage before and after 3 and 6 months of treatment, as well as depression screening using the Center of Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) questionnaire before and after 6 months of treatment. Scores greater than 16 were considered as suggestive of depression. RESULTS: The mean score on the CES-D scale of study participants at baseline significantly decreased after 6 months of treatment. A significant decrease was observed in the red blood cells count (RBC) after 6 months in relation to 3 months. Significant increases in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were observed from 3 months to 6 months in this study. Vitamin B(12) levels increased significantly between baseline and after 6 months of treatment. CONCLUSION: Decreased scores on the CES-D scale were associated with increased MCV values, with no association with vitamin B(12) levels. However, vitamin B(12) levels also increased significantly after 6 months of treatment with PPI.