## 3 Results
### Correlation of Disease Progression According to Therapeutic Approach  
In order to evaluate the progression/evolution of GERD by using biochemical markers, patients were reassessed at 3 months, 6 months and 9 months after recruitment in the study. Out of the 267 patients, only 65 met the follow-up conditions: initial evidence of specific endoscopic lesions, the provision of informed consent for upper digestive endoscopy, initial modifications of biochemical markers, compliance with therapy, and attendance at the scheduled follow up for endoscopic and biological investigations. All the 65 patients were assessed by monitoring biochemical markers, which presented modified values (eosinophilis, ESR and IgE revealed raised values, and Hb, Ht, MCH and MCHC had lower values), and by upper digestive endoscopy to identify specific endoscopic lesions. According to the therapeutic approach, the 65 patients were allotted to three subgroups:  
**The first subgroup**, made up of 42 children, were given a strict diet and lifestyle changes. The 3 month follow up revealed Grade II esophagitis lesions, and the biochemical markers did not have modified values, in comparison with those at the initial evaluation. PPI therapy was given, and the second evaluation revealed Grade I esophagitis lesions, with improved biochemical markers. The third assessment was normal; the values of the biochemical markers were also within the normal limits, except for the fact that in 29 cases, the values of Hb, Ht, MCH and MCHC remained low (Table 5). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & **Mean** & **Std. Deviation** & **Std. Error Mean** & \(p\) **T0–6 m** & \(p\) **T0–9 m** & \(p\) **6–9 m** \\ \hline Eosinophilis & & & 0.002 * & 0.000 * & 0.000 * \\ \hline T0 & 9.9690 & 2.24679 & 0.34669 & & & \\
6 months & 9.6548 & 2.36429 & 0.36482 & & & \\
9 months & 6.9476 & 1.37046 & 0.21147 & & & \\ \hline ESR & & & & 0.000 * & 0.000 * & 0.000 * \\ \hline T0 & 25.579 & 12.3392 & 1.9040 & & & \\
6 months & 21.964 & 10.7050 & 1.6518 & & & \\
9 months & 9.414 & 2.2717 & 0.3505 & & & \\ \hline IgE & & & & 0.000 * & 0.000 * & 0.000 * \\ \hline T0 & 132.3333 & 46.85508 & 7.22990 & & & \\
6 months & 128.0476 & 43.36344 & 6.69112 & & & \\
9 months & 62.6429 & 18.65845 & 2.87906 & & & \\ \hline Serum & & & & 0.000 * & 0.000 * & 0.000 * \\ iron & & & & & & \\ \hline T0 & 25.43 & 4.424 & 0.683 & & & \\
6 months & 33.33 & 9.343 & 1.442 & & & \\
9 months & 40.67 & 6.027 & 0.930 & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 5: Correlation of disease progression in the first subgroup, which received strict diet and lifestyle changes. **The second subgroup**, made up of 15 children, received a PPI therapy; the 3 month and 6 month evaluations identified biochemical markers within normal limits, except for in four children with lower values of Hb, Ht, MCH and MCHC. The endoscopic appearance showed normal esophageal mucosa (Table 6). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & **Mean** & **Std. Deviation** & **Std. Error Mean** & \(p\) **T0–3 m** & \(p\) **T0–6 m** & \(p\) **3–6 m** \\ \hline Eosinophils & & & & 0.007 * & 0.000 * & 0.002 * \\ \hline T0 & 10.6867 & 3.96842 & 1.02464 & & & \\
3 months & 9.1733 & 2.55300 & 0.65918 & & & \\
6 months & 7.1533 & 1.67838 & 0.43336 & & & \\ \hline ESR & & & & 0.027 * & 0.000 * & 0.000 * \\ \hline T0 & 23.073 & 11.5284 & 2.9766 & & & \\ \hline
3 months & 17.367 & 3.8351 & 0.9902 & & & \\ \hline
6 months & 8.973 & 1.6645 & 0.4298 & & & \\ \hline IgE & & & & 0.001 * & 0.000 * & 0.000 * \\ \hline T0 & 138.2667 & 48.19524 & 12.44396 & & & \\
3 months & 124.8667 & 44.26683 & 11.42965 & & & \\
6 months & 63.4000 & 12.82743 & 3.31203 & & & \\ \hline Serum & & & & 0.002 * & 0.000 * & 0.007 * \\ iron & & & & & 0.002 * & 0.000 * & 0.007 * \\ \hline T0 & 26.67 & 2.410 & 0.622 & & & \\
3 months & 33.07 & 7.411 & 1.914 & & & \\
6 months & 42.53 & 9.606 & 2.480 & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}