Table 5.

Comparison of the three treated groups with GERD

	Melatonin	Omeprazole	Melatonin and Omeprazole	P value
				P1	P2	P3
A)Symptoms:
Heart burn:
control	0	0	0
pretreatment:
yes	7	7	8
duration (months)	1.3 ± 0.4	1.2 ± 0.3	1.4 ± 0.4
4 weeks
8 weeks	3(57.1%)	2(71.4%)	1(87.5%)
	0(100%)	0(100%)	0(100%)
Epigastric pain:
-control	0	0	0
pretreatment:
yes	6	6	6
duration (months)	1.4 ± 0.5	1.3 ± 0.4	1.3 ± 0.4
4 weeks	3(50%)	2(66.7%)	1(83.3%)
8 weeks	1(83%)	0(100%)	0(100%)
B) LES Study:				P1	P2	P3
1-LES pressure(mmHg)
control	22.8 ± 1.3	22.8 ± 1.3	22.8 ± 1.3	0.9	0.9	0.9
pretreatment:	10 ± 1.58	10.5 ± 2.86	10.3 ± 1.68	0.65	0.7	0.86
4 weeks	14.5 ± 1.58	10.4 ± 4.05	14.5 ± 1.26	0.006	0.468	0.002
8 weeks	20.2 ± 1.56	10.5 ± 2.85	20.5 ± 1.22	0.000	0.68	0.000
2-Residual pressure (mmHg)				P1	P2	P3
- control	0.4 ± 0.01	0.4 ± 0.01	0.4 ± 0.01	1.0	1.0	1.0
pretreatment:	0.012 ± 0.52	0.1 ± 0.064	0.012 ± 0.44	0.578	1.00	0.556
4 weeks	0.2 ± 0.016	0.2 ± 0.15	0.21 ± 0.016	1.00	0.198	0.198
8 weeks	0.32 ± 0.013	0.1 ± 0.07	0.33 ± 0.016	0.000	0.08	0.000
3-Relaxation duration (seconds)				P1	P2	P3
control	5.0 ± 0.1	5.0 ± 0.1	5.0 ± 0.1	1.0	1.0	1.0
pretreatment::	6.8 ± 0.12	6.5 ± 2.74	6.8 ± 0.16	0.747	1.000	0.747
4 weeks	5.9 ± 0.16	6.3 ± 2.7	5.8 ± 0.13	0.662	0.153	0.585
8 weeks	5.3 ± 0.12	6.3 ± 2.65	5.2 ± 0.12	0.747	0.102	0.059
4-Relaxation %				P1	P2	P3
control	100 ± 0.00	100 ± 0.00	100 ± 0.00	1.0	1.0	1.0
pretreatment:	86 ± 0.87	87.2 ± 0.17	85 ± 1.58	0.12	0.116	0.14
4 weeks	90 ± 0.86	87.3 ± 0.25	90 ± 1.23	0.1	1.000	0.1
8 weeks	100 ± 0.00	87.1 ± 0.1	100 ± 0.00	0.01	1.00	0.01
C) PH (at 5 cm above the LES):				P1	P2	P3
control:	7.8 ± 0.4	7.8 ± 0.4	7.8 ± 0.4	1.0	1.0	1.0
pretreatment:	2.3 ± 0.36	2.1 ± 0.38	1.98 ± 0.37	0.1	0.1	0.1
4 weeks	5.2 ± 0.5	5.9 ± 0.48	6.1 ± 0.55	0.008	0.002	0.09
8 weeks	6.7 ± 0.65	7.2 ± 0.32	7.5 ± 0.31	0.01	0.008	0.1
D) BAO(mmol/h)				P1	P2	P3
- control:	2.6 ± 0.6	2.6 ± 0.6	2.6 ± 0.6	1.0	1.0	1.0
pretreatment:	24.7 ± 0.5	25.1 ± 0.6	24.9 ± 0.7	0.1	0.1	0.1
4 weeks	20.1 ± 0.4	17.2 ± 0.7	15.8 ± 0.9	0.008	0.002	0.09
- 8 weeks	16.6 ± 0.6	11.5 ± 0.6	10.2 ± 0.9	0.01	0.008	0.1
E) Serum Gastrin(pg/ml)				P1	P2	P3
control:	41.8 ± 7.1	41.8 ± 7.1	41.8 ± 7.1	1.0	1.0	1.0
pretreatment:	22.1 ± 4.2	21.5 ± 4.6	21.9 ± 4.7	0.1	0.1	0.1
4 weeks	27.2 ± 2.3	32.1 ± 2.1	33.6 ± 2.7	0.008	0.002	0.09
- 8 weeks	32.3 ± 2.1	35.9 ± 1.8	36.8 ± 2.1	0.01	0.008	0.1
D) Melatonin level at day time (pg/ml):				P1	P2	P3
control	36.1 ± 2.3	36.1 ± 2.3	36.1 ± 2.3	1.0	1.0	1.0
pretreatment:	18.2 ± 5.54	18.5 ± 3.75	18.3 ± 3.8	0.1	0.665	0.472
4 weeks	28.26 ± 2.26	19.2 ± 3.47	28.83 ± 1.82	0.000	0.55	0.000
8 weeks	34.5 ± .35	17.9 ± 3.72	34.5 ± 2.35	0.000	1.00	0.000

P1: group III versus group II

P2: group IV versus group II

P3: group IV versus group III