|
Patients with eosinophilic esophagitis commonly have asthma and atopy.
Dr Harer and colleagues from Minnesota, USA determined the predictive factors of eosinophilic esophagitis in patients with asthma. The researchers performed a retrospective analysis of a large database identified 156 asthma patients with eosinophilic esophagitis, and 276 patients without eosinophilic esophagitis between 2000 and 2010. Clinical and laboratory characteristics were first analyzed in half of each group. Significant differences and modelling were then applied to the other half of each group in a split half analysis.  | | Steroid inhalers appear to have a protective effect against eosinophilic esophagitis | | Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics |
Predictors of the presence of eosinophilic esophagitis in asthma patients included allergic vs. non-allergic asthma, food allergies, allergic rhinitis, and peripheral eosinophilia. The team found that the use of inhaled corticosteroids was negatively associated with eosinophilic esophagitis for asthma patients and for allergic type asthma patients. The researchers noted that eosinophilic esophagitis patients were also younger. The research team observed that allergic asthma, presence of peripheral eosinophilia and use of inhaled steroids remained significant. From these parameters, a 3.5-point scoring system model for eosinophilic esophagitis in asthma was formed with an ROC = 0.8 on split analysis.
Dr Harer's team concludes, "In descending order, peripheral eosinophilia, allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis are associated with eosinophilic esophagitis in patients with asthma." "Steroid inhalers appear to have a protective effect against eosinophilic esophagitis." "An accurate and simple scoring system can be used as a screening tool to predict the presence of eosinophilic esophagitis in patients with asthma and dysphagia." "Eosinophilic esophagitis should be viewed as part of a generalized allergic phenotype rather than isolated oesophageal disease."
| 
Email this page to a colleague
