Topical Review: Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Children: Implications for Health-Related Quality of Life and Potential Avenues for Future Research

Health-related quality of life determinants in Spanish children with eosinophilic esophagitis

OBJECTIVES

To study the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its possible determinant factors in Spanish children with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and their parents.

METHODS

Multicenter observational cross-sectional study. The Spanish version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Eosinophilic Esophagitis Module was filled out by EoE patients aged 8-18 and their parents. Demographic, psychosocial, and clinical variables were studied. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify related factors of HRQoL.

RESULTS

A total of 279 children and their parents participated (72.7% males). 39.1% received swallowed corticosteroids, 35.5% proton pump inhibitors and 16.8% diet. 1.1% received other treatments and 7.5% received no treatment. Poor compliance to treatment was observed in 11.5% and 6.5% of patients were referred to mental health. The Total Scale Scores were 72.71 ± 17.50 and 75.62 ± 16.73 for children and parents, respectively. "Communication" was the dimension with the highest scores (82.14 ± 21.65 and 81.59 ± 24.13) while "Food and Eating" (48.92 ± 32.94 and 62.85 ± 28.78), and "Food Feelings" (53.55 ± 29.96 and 53.95 ± 27.78) had the lower scores. Patients and parents under dietary treatment showed lower scores than those under pharmacological treatment, 65.77 ± 16.96 versus 74.28 ± 16.96, p = 0.001 and 68.33 ± 17.32 versus 77.24 ± 15.97, p = 0.001, respectively. Factors associated with worse HRQoL scores were symptom frequency, diet, food allergies, and the need for mental health assistance.

CONCLUSIONS

The HRQoL of children and their parents was "good." However, diet, frequency of symptoms, food allergies, and the need for mental health care were the factors that had a negative impact on HRQoL of children with EoE.

Assessment of the Severity and the Remission Criteria in Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an immune-mediated disease that manifests with dysphagia and is characterized by the predominantly eosinophilic infiltration of the esophageal mucosa. Several instruments have been developed to assess the symptoms of EoE: the Daily Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ), EoE Activity Index (EEsAI), Pediatric EoE Symptom Severity (PEESSv2), etc. The use of the EREFS is a gold standard for endoscopic diagnosis. The EoE histologic scoring system (EoEHSS) was elaborated for the assessment of histological features in EoE. However, the remission criteria are not clearly defined and vary greatly in different studies. Gastroenterologists establish the severity of EoE mainly based on endoscopic findings. At the same time, EoE requires a multidisciplinary approach. The recently developed Index of Severity of Eosinophilic Esophagitis (I-SEE) that is built on symptoms, endoscopic findings, and histological features is promising.

British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (BSPGHAN) joint consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of eosinophilic oesophagitis in children and adults

BACKGROUND

Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) is an increasingly common cause of dysphagia in both children and adults, as well as one of the most prevalent oesophageal diseases with a significant impact on physical health and quality of life. We have provided a single comprehensive guideline for both paediatric and adult gastroenterologists on current best practice for the evaluation and management of EoE.

METHODS

The Oesophageal Section of the British Society of Gastroenterology was commissioned by the Clinical Standards Service Committee to develop these guidelines. The Guideline Development Group included adult and paediatric gastroenterologists, surgeons, dietitians, allergists, pathologists and patient representatives. The Population, Intervention, Comparator and Outcomes process was used to generate questions for a systematic review of the evidence. Published evidence was reviewed and updated to June 2021. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to assess the evidence and make recommendations. Two rounds of voting were held to assess the level of agreement and the strength of recommendations, with 80% consensus required for acceptance.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven statements on EoE presentation, diagnosis, investigation, management and complications were produced with further statements created on areas for future research.

CONCLUSIONS

These comprehensive adult and paediatric guidelines of the British Society of Gastroenterology and British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition are based on evidence and expert consensus from a multidisciplinary group of healthcare professionals, including patient advocates and patient support groups, to help clinicians with the management patients with EoE and its complications.

Measurement of Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Pediatric and Young Adult Patients Treated for Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic, immune-mediated esophageal condition that may lead to impairment of quality of life in pediatric and young adult patients. We performed a prospective, cross-sectional study on 40 patients between the ages of 2-21 years with an established diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis. The study evaluated physical, emotional, social, and school functioning in patients undergoing treatment with proton pump inhibitors, dietary elimination, or swallowed corticosteroids. There were no statistically significant differences in total or domain-specific quality of life scores between proton pump inhibitors, dietary elimination, and swallowed corticosteroid therapy. Overall, total and domain-specific quality of life were well-preserved in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis, with the highest scores reported in social functioning. There were also no statistically significant associations between clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features and quality-of-life measures.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis Histology Remission Score: Significant Relations to Measures of Disease Activity and Symptoms

OBJECTIVES

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is characterized by remissions and relapses. Guidelines defining remission do not exist and therefore remission is inconsistently identified. We sought to define histology remission in EoE.

METHODS

Esophageal biopsies, obtained at the time the validated pediatric EoE symptoms scores v2.0 (PEESS v2.0) questionnaire was completed (N = 42), were scored using the validated EoE Histology Scoring System. An EoE Histology Remission Score (EoEHRS) was constructed and specified that in all esophageal sites sampled the peak eosinophil count was <15 per high power field (HPF); in addition, neither the total grade (severity of pathology) nor stage (extent of pathology) scores could exceed 3 (possible total maximum score for each was 24). Spearman correlation coefficients were generated for histology/symptom correlations; coefficient range 0.31 to 0.50 was considered moderate.

RESULTS

EoE Histology Scoring System composite and individual feature scores from proximal and distal esophageal biopsies correlated moderately with PEESS v2.0 mean scores (0.48-0.36, P < 0.01), and with scores in the dysphagia (0.39-0.30, P ≤ 0.01), pain (0.48-0.34, P ≤ 0.01), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (0.51-0.32, P ≤ 0.01) domains. Biopsies that met full EoEHRS criteria had reduced biomarkers, specifically expression of the mast cell markers CPA3 and tryptase mRNA, and reduced eosinophil peroxidase deposition (P < 0.03), compared to those with nonremission scores. Subjects whose biopsies met EoEHRS remission criteria reported reduced symptoms for all domains except nausea and vomiting (P ≤ 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The EoEHRS correlated with reduced biomarkers of disease activity and reduced symptoms, and therefore may be useful to inform clinical care and interstudy comparisons.

Symptom Burden and Quality of Life Over Time in Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether children with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) demonstrated an association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) improvements and symptom reduction during 12 months of treatment; to examine age-related EoE discrete symptom presentation; and to describe residual symptom and HRQoL burden.

METHODS

Children ages 2 to 18 years with EoE were assessed at the onset of treatment and 12 months later at 4 tertiary care centers. Continuous measures of symptoms and symptom severity were based on 8 discrete EoE symptoms. HRQoL was measured with the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) parent-proxy (PR) report, child self-report (CR), and Family Impact Module. Mixed-effects modeling was used to test changes over time for symptom burden and child and family HRQoL.

RESULTS

One hundred nine children were followed (ages 2-18 years, mean age 7.6 [4.6] years, 77% boys, 87% white). Baseline symptom number mean was 3.5 (standard deviation = 2.3, range 0-8) and symptom severity mean was 5.5 (standard deviation = 4.3, range 0-24). EoE symptom number and symptom severity decreased significantly over the 12 months (P = 0.013, P < 0.001, respectively). PedsQL PR Total, Physical, Psychosocial, and Family Impact scores all improved significantly (P = 0.001, 0.012, 0.012, 0.015, respectively) but PedsQL child self-report scores did not. Symptom reduction correlated with PR PedsQL improvement (P = 0.01). Few discrete symptoms completely remitted, but lowered severity ratings indicated clinically significant improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Year-long treatment in multidisciplinary tertiary centers reduced most symptoms and improved parent-reported HRQoL in children with EoE. The frequency of residual symptoms and persistently lower HRQoL, however, underscore the chronic nature of pediatric EoE.

Evidence of Disturbed Sleep in Children With Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Persistent Epigastric Pain

Objective

To determine whether the experience of persistent epigastric pain is associated with sleep disturbances in children with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). We hypothesized that children with EoE and persistent epigastric pain would (1) self-report greater current and worst pain severity, and (2) experience more disturbed sleep on objective and subjective measures in comparison with children with EoE but no persistent pain and healthy children.

Methods

Fifty children with EoE were recruited for this cross-sectional study, of which 24 (48%) reported experiencing persistent epigastric pain. The remaining 26 (52%) children with EoE denied experiencing persistent pain. An additional 25 healthy children without EoE or persistent pain were included. All children provided severity ratings of current pain and worst pain experienced over the past week. Children then completed 12 consecutive nights of ambulatory sleep monitoring via actigraphy in the home. Caregivers provided information regarding their child's sleep patterns and internalizing symptoms.

Results

Children with EoE and persistent pain reported significantly greater severity of current pain (p < .001) and worst pain over the past week (p < .001) compared with EoE without persistent pain and healthy children. Compared with the other groups, children with EoE and persistent pain also demonstrated greater actigraphic sleep disturbances, lower sleep efficiency (p = .004) and greater wake after sleep onset (p = .034).

Conclusions

This study provides novel evidence that a significant proportion of children with EoE experience persistent symptoms of epigastric pain. Persistent pain was associated with significant sleep disturbances in children with EoE.

Disease-Related Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life in Youth With Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Objective

To evaluate relations between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and clinical symptom presentation in youth with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). We hypothesized that presence of dysphagia, reflux, nausea/vomiting, and epigastric pain would be related to poorer HRQoL. In predictive models, it was hypothesized that dysphagia, reflux, nausea/vomiting, and epigastric pain would each significantly and uniquely predict poorer HRQoL.

Methods

This cross-sectional, two-study design included 91 dyads comprised children with EoE and their respective caregivers across two tertiary children's hospitals, Site 1 in the Midwest (N = 47) and Site 2 in the Deep South (N = 44). Youth and their caregivers both completed questionnaires addressing HRQoL and EoE symptoms during clinic visits.

Results

Per youth self-report, epigastric pain was found to be a significant predictor of poor physical and psychosocial HRQoL. Per caregiver-proxy reports, epigastric pain was found to be a significant predictor of poor physical HRQoL.

Conclusions

The clinical symptoms of EoE, specifically epigastric pain, were found to be predictive of the youth's HRQoL. Targeted interventions to help youth with EoE better manage their specific symptom experiences could ultimately improve HRQoL.