Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Update on Diagnosis and Treatment in Pediatric Patients

The Cellie Coping Kit for children with Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes

Children with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are faced with ongoing treatments that can impact their wellbeing. There are no evidence-based resources that families can implement independently to cope with EoE-related stressors. This study aimed to examine acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary outcomes of the newly developed Cellie Coping Kit for Children with EoE intervention. Forty child-caregiver dyads completed a baseline assessment (T1) and initiated the intervention; 30 (75%) child participants and 33 (82.5%) caregivers were retained to follow-up (T2). Of those who completed the T2 assessment, most reported that the intervention was easy to use (>90%) and would recommend the intervention to others (>90%). The intervention was feasible: >70% used the kit, and most indicated they would use it again (>75%). More than half of families reported learning new information and/or coping strategies. No statistically significant changes were identified in comparing T1 and T2 coping and health-related quality of life. These findings suggest that the Cellie Coping Kit for Children with EoE is a promising intervention in that it was well accepted, feasible, and helped many families learn novel strategies on how to manage EoE challenges. Future research should examine how to strengthen the intervention to achieve longer-term targeted outcomes.

Pharmacokinetics of Budesonide Oral Suspension in Children and Adolescents With Eosinophilic Esophagitis

The pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of budesonide oral suspension (BOS) was evaluated during a phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study in pediatric patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) (MPI 101-01/NCT00762073). Non-compartmental methods were used to calculate PK parameters in 37 patients after receiving morning doses of BOS, with volume and dose adjusted for age (low dose: 0.35 or 0.5 mg; high dose: 1.4 or 2.0 mg [2-9 or 10-18 years old, respectively]). Relationships between apparent oral clearance and volume of distribution, and bodyweight and body mass index were also evaluated. Budesonide systemic exposure increased with BOS dose. After oral administration, time to maximum plasma budesonide concentration occurred ~1 hour post dose and the half-life of budesonide was 3.3-3.5 hours. PK parameters were similar between age groups for low- and high-dose BOS, indicating that volume and dose adjustments for age were appropriate for pediatric patients with EoE. BOS was well tolerated.

Clinical Features of Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A Single Center Experience in Ecuador

PURPOSE

Data on eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in South America is scarce. Moreover, no studies are available in Ecuador. We evaluated the clinical, endoscopic, and histological characteristics of Ecuadorian children with EoE.

METHODS

Medical records of 2,711 children who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) between 2009 and 2020 at Hospital Metropolitano de Quito, Ecuador were reviewed. Esophageal mucosal biopsies were obtained from 72 patients and the features of 35 children with EoE were described. EoE was diagnosed when there were more than 15 eosinophils in the esophagus, per high power field.

RESULTS

EoE was diagnosed in 35 children (9.4±4.5 years) with a male predominance (74%). Abdominal pain (51.4%) and vomiting (31.4%) were dominant symptoms. A history of allergic diseases was noted in 47.1% of the children, which mainly included allergic rhinitis (37.1%) and atopic dermatitis (11.4%). The most common endoscopic findings were furrowing (82.9%) and edema (74.3%). All patients were initially treated with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). Those who did not respond to PPIs received steroids (5.7%) and diet therapy (5.7%), and five patients were referred to an allergist. Clinical and histological resolution was observed in 65% of the patients who underwent a second UGE after 6-8 weeks of PPI.

CONCLUSION

Our study describes the clinical features of pediatric EoE in Ecuador. This is the first retrospective study in Ecuador that describes the clinical, endoscopic, and histological manifestations of EoE in a small pediatric population. Almost half of the children who underwent a biopsy had EoE.

Pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis: a review for the clinician

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic clinical-pathologic disease characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the esophageal epithelium with esophageal dysfunction symptoms.EoE can occur at any age and has different clinical manifestations depending on the age onset.To date, esophago-gastroduodenal endoscopy (EGD) with biopsy is the gold-standard for EoE diagnosis.According to the recent consensus guidelines, proton pump inhibitors, corticosteroids and elimination diets could be a first-line therapy option. The aim of the treatment is clinical and histological remission for preventing long-lasting untreatable fibrosis.A multidisciplinary approach (allergist, gastroenterology, dietitian, and pathologist) is recommended for managing patients affected by EoE, given the complexity of its treatment.This review will provide a practical guide to assist pediatricians treating children with EoE.Moreover, it highlights the unmet needs in diagnosis and treatment that require urgent attention from the scientific community in the aim of improving the management of patients with EoE.

Immunoporosis: Role of Innate Immune Cells in Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis or porous bone disorder is the result of an imbalance in an otherwise highly balanced physiological process known as 'bone remodeling'. The immune system is intricately involved in bone physiology as well as pathologies. Inflammatory diseases are often correlated with osteoporosis. Inflammatory mediators such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), and pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines directly or indirectly act on the bone cells and play a role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Recently, Srivastava et al. (Srivastava RK, Dar HY, Mishra PK. Immunoporosis: Immunology of Osteoporosis-Role of T Cells. Frontiers in immunology. 2018;9:657) have coined the term "immunoporosis" to emphasize the role of immune cells in the pathology of osteoporosis. Accumulated pieces of evidence suggest both innate and adaptive immune cells contribute to osteoporosis. However, innate cells are the major effectors of inflammation. They sense various triggers to inflammation such as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), cellular stress, etc., thus producing pro-inflammatory mediators that play a critical role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. In this review, we have discussed the role of the innate immune cells in great detail and divided these cells into different sections in a systemic manner. In the beginning, we talked about cells of the myeloid lineage, including macrophages, monocytes, and dendritic cells. This group of cells explicitly influences the skeletal system by the action of production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and can transdifferentiate into osteoclast. Other cells of the myeloid lineage, such as neutrophils, eosinophils, and mast cells, largely impact osteoporosis via the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Further, we talked about the cells of the lymphoid lineage, including natural killer cells and innate lymphoid cells, which share innate-like properties and play a role in osteoporosis. In addition to various innate immune cells, we also discussed the impact of classical pro-inflammatory cytokines on osteoporosis. We also highlighted the studies regarding the impact of physiological and metabolic changes in the body, which results in chronic inflammatory conditions such as ageing, ultimately triggering osteoporosis.