Low Prevalence of Biopsy-Proven Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Patients with Esophageal Food Impaction in Mexican Population

Eosinophilic esophagitis: Current concepts of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic, immune-mediated disease characterized by the infiltration of eosinophils into the esophageal mucosa. It is the most frequent cause of dysphagia and food impaction in adults. Due to its similar pathophysiology to allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis, it has been considered the esophageal manifestation of allergy. It is more frequently seen in the United States, Europe, and Australia. Incidence and prevalence have increased significantly in those countries over the past three decades, to such a degree that some consider it an epidemic. The disease is infrequently diagnosed in Mexico and Latin America, and so little information on this disease is produced in our region of the world. The precise factors explaining this low incidence are unknown. On the other hand, there has been intense research on EoE in other parts of the world in recent years. Its pathophysiology has been better understood and endoscopic and clinical procedures have been refined for making the diagnosis. In addition, new drugs and special formulations of existing ones have been introduced for treating the disease. Simpler and more effective dietary treatment strategies have also been evaluated. The aim of the present work was to review the current status of EoE globally and in Mexico, emphasizing the probable factors (environmental and technical) that intervene in the low incidence recorded in our country. In addition, we conducted a review of the advances in research on the different aspects of EoE carried out in recent years.

Clinical Features and Treatment Response to Topical Steroids in Ethnic and Racial Minority Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis

INTRODUCTION

Differences in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) presentation and outcomes by ethnicity or race remain understudied. We aimed to determine whether EoE patients of Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity or non-White race have differences in presentation at diagnosis or response to topical corticosteroid (tCS) treatment.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included subjects of any age with a new diagnosis of EoE and documentation of ethnicity or race. For those who had treatment with tCS and follow-up endoscopy/biopsy, we assessed histologic response (<15 eosinophils/hpf), global symptom response, and endoscopic response. Hispanic EoE patients were compared with non-Hispanics at baseline and before and after treatment. The same analyses were repeated for White vs non-Whites.

RESULTS

Of 1,026 EoE patients with ethnicity data, just 23 (2%) were Hispanic. Most clinical features at presentation were similar to non-Hispanic EoE patients but histologic response to tCS was numerically lower (38% vs 57%). Non-White EoE patients (13%) were younger at diagnosis and had less insurance, lower zip code-level income, shorter symptom duration, more vomiting, less dysphagia and food impaction, fewer typical endoscopic features, and less dilation. Of 475 patients with race data treated with tCS, non-Whites had a significantly lower histologic response rate (41% vs 59%; P = 0.01), and odds of histologic response remained lower after controlling for potential confounders (adjusted odds ratio 0.40, 95% confidence intervals: 0.19-0.87).

DISCUSSION

Few EoE patients at our center were Hispanic, and they had similar clinical presentations as non-Hispanics. The non-White EoE group was larger, and presentation was less dysphagia-specific. Non-White patients were also less than half as likely to respond to tCS.

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with decreased odds for eosinophilic esophagitis in Mexican patients

BACKGROUND

The incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is increasing in some regions of the world. Retrospective studies have found an inverse association with Helicobacter pylori infection (H. pylori). A recent prospective study has questioned this relationship. We aimed to evaluate this relationship in Mexican patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We evaluated adult patients without prior eradication of H. pylori. Cases were defined by the presence of esophageal symptoms and >15 eosinophils/high power field (HPF) in the esophageal biopsy. Controls were defined by the presence of <15 eosinophils/HPF in esophageal biopsy. H. pylori infection was defined by histology. Patients were matched by age and gender assigning four controls per case.

RESULTS

We included 190 patients: 38 cases and 152 controls. Cases had higher frequency of atopy, dysphagia, food impaction, peripheral eosinophilia, and endoscopic EoE abnormalities. The overall prevalence of H. pylori was 63.6%. Cases had significantly lower prevalence of H. pylori than controls (36.8% vs. 70.4%, OR 0.21 95% CI 0.08-0.69, p = 0.001). Atopic patients had lower prevalence of H. pylori than non-atopic: 13.1% vs. 50.5% (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.06-0.69, p < 0.001), particularly allergic rhinitis and food allergy.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed an inverse relationship between H. pylori and EoE as well as atopy. Studies in experimental models of EoE that clarify the role of H. pylori in this interaction are required, as well as robust studies that include other factors (socioeconomic, cultural, microbiota, etc.) in order to clarify this relationship.

Incidence and evolution of foreign body impaction in the upper gastrointestinal tract and its relationship with eosionophilic oesophagitis

BACKGROUND

Foreign body impaction is a frequent indication of urgent endoscopy. One of the reasons for impaction is eosinophilic oesophagitis (EE). To analyze characteristics of oesophageal foreign body impactions and their relationship with eosinophilic oesophagitis.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, urgent endoscopies in a tertiary care centre were analyzed. We included all urgent endoscopies due to bolus and foreign body impactions performed between September 1st 2018 and September 1st 2020. We reviewed clinical data of all patients who were diagnosed with EE and compared it to impactions that were due to other motives. The mean follow-up time was 18.7 months.

RESULTS

693 urgent endoscopy procedures were performed. 239 (34%) of these were due to foreign body ingestion. Mean age of the patients was 63 years old and 135 (63%) were men. EE was diagnosed in 36 (17%) patients. The factors associated with EE were age, to be younger than 50 years (OR, 7.3; 95% CI, 1.1-48.4; p=0.04), asthma/rhinitis/atopic dermatitis (OR, 8.9; 95% CI, 2.3-35.3; p=0.002), findings in the endoscopy as trachealization (OR, 9.7; 95% CI, 1.3-70.9; p=0.03) and psychotropic/calcium channel blocker drugs (OR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.009-0.9; p=0.04). 15 (7%) patients died. In 6 of them death was impaction-related. None patients with EE died.

CONCLUSIONS

Foreign body impaction in the upper gastrointestinal tract due to EE is a frequent cause of urgent endoscopy. Being under 50 years of age, having asthma/rhinitis/atopic dermatitis, trachealization on the oesophagus and not taking psychotropic/calcium channel blocker drugs are factors associated with the diagnosis of EE. Mortality in the follow-up of patients without EE is important.

Reconsidering the "protective" hypothesis of Helicobacter pylori infection in eosinophilic esophagitis

Since its discovery, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has attracted attention in the biomedical world with its numerous pathophysiologic implications, both gastrointestinal and systemic. Beyond its well-established carcinogenic properties, emerging evidence also supports "harmful" proinflammatory and neurodegenerative roles of H. pylori. On the other hand, H. pylori infection has been proposed to be "protective" against several diseases, such as asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a relatively new, allergen/immune-mediated disease, which has also been linked to these considerations. Main arguments are a postulated shift of immune responses by H. pylori from T helper 2 (T_H 2) to T_H 1 polarization, as well as a potential decline of the H. pylori burden with the dramatic parallel rise of ΕοΕ: a series of observational studies reported an inverse association. In this review, we counter these arguments by providing further epidemiological data, which point out that this generalization might be rather incomplete. We also discuss the limitations of the existing studies evaluating a possible association. Furthermore, we provide current evidence on common pathogenetic components, which share both entities. In summary, the claim that H. pylori is protective against EoE is rather incomplete, and further mechanistic studies are necessary to elucidate a possible association.