The role of proton pump inhibitor therapy in the management of eosinophilic esophagitis

Mortality in Eosinophilic Esophagitis - a nationwide, population-based matched cohort study from 2005 to 2017

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of knowledge about mortality in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Therefore, this study aimed to examine the mortality in EoE.

METHODS

A nationwide, population-based matched cohort study was conducted of all EoE patients in Sweden diagnosed between July 2005 and December 2017. Individuals with EoE (n = 1,625) were identified through prospectively recorded histopathology codes from all gastrointestinal pathology reports in Sweden, representing 28 pathology departments (the ESPRESSO study). Each individual with EoE was then matched with up to five reference individuals from the general population (n = 8,003) for age, sex, year of birth, and place of residence. We used the Cox proportional hazard modeling to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) while adjusting for other potential confounders. In sensitivity analyses, mortality in EoE patients was compared with mortality in their siblings.

RESULTS

Through December 2017, 34 deaths were confirmed in EoE patients (4.60 per 1,000 person-years) compared with 165 in reference individuals (4.57 per 1,000 person-years). This rate corresponds to an aHR of 0.97 (95% CI = 0.67-1.40). HRs were similar in males (aHR = 1.00 [0.66-1.51]) and females (aHR = 0.92 [0.38-2.18]). We observed no increased risk in mortality due to esophageal or other gastrointestinal cancers in patients with EoE (aHR = 1.02 [0.51-2.02]).Mortality was similar in EoE patients and their siblings (aHR = 0.91 [0.44-1.85]).

CONCLUSION

In this nationwide, population-based matched cohort study in Sweden, there was no increased risk of death in patients with EoE compared with their siblings and the general population.

Treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To summarize current dietary and pharmacologic approaches in the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies comparing dietary approaches in EoE treatment support empiric elimination diets as the preferred approach to dietary EoE treatment, with no data to support use of currently available allergy tests to guide specific food elimination diets. Swallowed topical corticosteroid therapy is the current standard of care in pharmacologic EoE treatment, with similar effectiveness of fluticasone and budesonide, but their discontinuation results in return of both EoE symptoms and disease. A number of nonsteroid-based therapies are currently under investigation for the treatment of EoE, which are focused on targeting disease at a cellular level.

SUMMARY

EoE can be treated with diet or medications. Empiric elimination is presently the preferred dietary approach. Swallowed steroids is the standard of care to treat EoE with medication; however, there are several promising drugs currently undergoing clinical trials.

Efficacy of proton pump inhibitor therapy for eosinophilic oesophagitis in 630 patients: results from the EoE connect registry

BACKGROUND

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the most commonly used first-line therapy for patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). However, many aspects related to PPIs in EoE are still unknown.

AIMS

To assess the effectiveness of PPI therapy for EoE in real-world practice.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study collected data on PPI efficacy from the multicentre EoE CONNECT database. Clinical remission was defined as a decrease of ≥50% in dysphagia symptom score; histological remission was defined as a peak eosinophil count below 15 eosinophils per high-power field. Factors associated with effectiveness of PPI therapy were identified by binary logistic regression multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Overall, 630 patients (76 children) received PPI as initial therapy (n = 600) or after failure to respond to other therapies (n = 30). PPI therapy achieved eosinophil density below 15 eosinophils per high-power field in 48.8% and a decreased symptom score in 71.0% of patients. More EoE patients with an inflammatory rather than stricturing phenotype accomplished clinico-histological remission after PPI therapy (OR 3.7; 95% CI, 1.4-9.5); as well as those who prolonged treatment length from 8 to 12 weeks (OR 2.7; 95% CI, 1.3-5.3). After achieving clinico-histological remission of EoE, PPI dosage reduction was effectively maintained in 69.9% of patients, but tended to be less effective among those with a stricturing phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS

Inflammatory EoE phenotype and treatment duration up to 12 weeks correlated with greater chance for inducing remission of EoE. A stricturing phenotype decreased response rates to PPI therapy both initially and in the long term.

New Developments in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic, allergen-driven, immune-mediated disease of the esophagus that progresses to esophageal fibrostenosis if left untreated. The aim of this review is to provide a concise update on recent clinically relevant advances in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for EoE.

RECENT FINDINGS

Current diagnostic and disease monitoring protocols for EoE rely on repetitive endoscopic evaluations and esophageal tissue acquisition for histopathologic analysis. Recent advancements in EoE diagnosis include endoscopic functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP), transnasal endoscopy (TNE), and the emergence of non-invasive diagnostic tools including cytosponge, esophageal string test, and mucosal impedance probe. Biomarkers for EoE have not yet proven their clinical utility. No Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs currently exist for the treatment of EoE. Topical corticosteroid, proton-pump inhibitors (PPI), elimination diet, and dilation are the current treatment modalities for confirmed EoE. Promising results from clinical trials are emerging for biologic agents that target the interleukin (IL)-13 and the IL-4/IL-13 receptor, specifically, RPC4046 and dupilumab, respectively. New diagnostic algorithms, non-invasive diagnostic strategies, and treatment modalities for EoE are emerging. Patients with EoE continue to require a multimodal and multi-disciplinary management approach.

Intrabolus Pressure Has Better Correlation Than Eosinophilia with Dysphagia Severity in Fibrostenotic Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A Pilot Study

Eosinophilic esophagitis is characterized by dysphagia with esophageal eosinophilia. We sought to determine if intrabolus pressure measurements on high-resolution manometry had any correlation with dysphagia improvement following standard therapy for patients with fibrostenotic eosinophilic esophagitis. Consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled at our swallowing center. Dysphagia scores, esophageal eosinophil counts, endoscopic reference scores, and intrabolus pressure measurements were compared at baseline and following therapy with 8 weeks of a proton-pump inhibitor and serial bougie dilation to a luminal diameter of 17 mm. Five patients were included in the study. The median age was 38 years. The average endoscopic reference score improved from 5.0 to 2.4 (p = 0.007). The mean esophageal diameter improved from 10.8 mm to 17.2 mm (p = 0.001). Dysphagia severity scores improved from a mean value of 34.2 to 10.8 (p = 0.004). Mucosal eosinophilia had no correlation with dysphagia severity. Mean intrabolus pressure improved from 21.8 mmHg to 11 mmHg (p = 0.001). There was strong correlation between a decrease in intrabolus pressure and improvement in dysphagia severity; however, this was not significant (p = 0.108). Intrabolus pressure has strong correlation with dysphagia severity following therapy for fibrostenotic eosinophilic esophagitis. Bougie dilation provides improvement in dysphagia despite persistent mucosal eosinophilia.

New developments in patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases presented at the CEGIR/TIGERS Symposium at the 2018 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Meeting

The Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases and the International Gastrointestinal Eosinophil Researchers organized a day-long symposium at the recent 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, which was coupled for the first time with the World Allergy Organization meeting to create an international platform. The symposium featured experts in many facets of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, including allergy, immunology, gastroenterology, pathology, and nutrition, and was a well-attended event. The basic science, genetics, cellular immunology, and clinical features of the diseases, with a focus on epithelial, eosinophil, and mast cell responses, as well as current and emerging treatment options, were reviewed. Here we briefly review some of the highlights of the material presented at the meeting.

Medical and dietary management of eosinophilic esophagitis

OBJECTIVE

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a disease of chronic, allergen-driven, T-helper 2 (Th2) immune-mediated inflammation that progresses to fibrostenosis of the esophagus if left untreated. There are currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for the treatment of EoE. This review focuses on the medical and dietary management of EoE.

DATA SOURCES

Manuscripts on EoE treatments were identified on PubMed.

STUDY SELECTIONS

Original research, randomized control trials, retrospective studies, meta-analyses, case series, and on occasions, case reports of high relevance, were selected and reviewed.

RESULTS

Current treatment strategies available to EoE patients center on monotherapy or combination therapy with dietary modification to exclude antigenic stimulation and topical corticosteroids to control Th2-mediated tissue inflammation and pathologic remodeling. Dilation as a rescue therapy for the narrowed, fibrostenotic, symptomatic esophagus can potentially be avoided with optimal medical and elimination diet therapies. The molecular mechanisms underlying EoE pathogenesis are being unraveled, from which targeted therapies can be developed and evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies. Current clinical research efforts focus on optimization of topical corticosteroid delivery, dosing, frequency, and duration of treatment, either alone or in combination with tailored elimination diet. Preliminary clinical trials with biologics targeting interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13/IL-4 have been completed.

CONCLUSION

Topical corticosteroid, elimination diet, and dilation are the current treatment modalities for confirmed EoE. The use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) is being suggested as a potential regimen to treat EoE, based on evolving understanding of PPI-responsive esophageal eosinophilia (PPI-REE). The complexity of EoE treatment regimens and frequent follow-ups require a multimodal, multi-disciplinary management approach to optimize patient care.

Clinicopathologic and gene expression analysis of initial biopsies from patients with eosinophilic esophagitis refractory to therapy

Some patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) do not respond to therapy. The clinicopathologic characteristics and gene expression profile at time of presentation could help predict response to therapy. Refractory EoE was defined as persistence of symptoms and biopsies with histologic features of EoE after 6 months of therapy with proton pump inhibitors and topical corticosteroids. Initial biopsies from refractory EoE patients (n=21), responder to therapy (n=8), patients who relapsed (n=6), and reflux controls (n=24) were studied. RNA was isolated from a subset of cases, and gene expression analysis of 285 genes involved in inflammation was performed using NanoString technology. There was no difference in the presenting symptoms among groups. The number of eosinophils/high-power field among nonresponders was higher (66±15) than responders (39±8; P<.0001) and similar to patients who relapsed (62±11). Six genes were expressed by at least 4-fold compared with reflux at a false discovery rate < 0.05, including overexpression of ALOX15, CCL26, FCER2, RTNLB, and RNASE2, and underexpression of DSG1. EoE patients refractory to therapy or who relapsed showed a trend toward higher ALOX15 expression compared with patients with good response to therapy (364.4- and 425-fold change, P=.097 and P=.07). RTNLB was significantly overexpressed in patients who were refractory to therapy versus those who responded favorably (10-fold versus 3-fold; P<.01). In conclusion, the number of eosinophils/high-power field in the initial biopsy inversely correlates with therapy response. Overexpression of RTNLB in refractory-to-therapy patients and overexpression of ALOX15 and CCL26 suggest that they are critical in the EoE pathogenesis.

ALOX15 Immunohistochemistry Aids in the Diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis on Pauci-eosinophilic Biopsies in Children

Histologically, esophageal biopsies should have ≥15 intraepithelial eosinophils (IEEs) per high power field (HPF) to support a clinicopathologic diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Children with clinically apparent EoE may show pauci-eosinophilic biopsies due to patchy involvement. Immunostaining (Immunohistochemistry) for arachidonate-15 lipooxygenase (ALOX15) has been demonstrated to be a sensitive marker for EoE. We retrospectively assessed the expression of ALOX15 in 48 biopsies from 21 patients with established diagnosis of EoE and with tissue fragments below the threshold of 15 IEEs/HPF. Fragments were classified into pauci-eosinophilic and non-pauci-eosinophilic groups using cutoffs of 10 and 15 IEEs/HPF. Controls included patients with reflux and normal biopsies. Sixty-five (43.9%) fragments showed <10 IEEs/HPF and 83 (56.1%) showed ≥10 IEEs/HPF. Using a cutoff of 15 IEEs/HPF, 87 (58.7%) fragments showed <15 IEEs/HPF while 61 fragments (41.2%) had ≥15 IEEs/HPF. ALOX15 was positive in 53/65 (81.5%) of fragments with <10 IEEs/HPF versus 82/83 (98.8%) of fragments with ≥10 IEEs/HPF ( P < .001). For a cutoff of 15 IEEs/HPF, 75/87 (86.2%) of pauci-eosinophilic fragments were ALOX15-positive, while 60/61(98.4%) of biopsies meeting the threshold were positive ( P < .001). In 3/21 (14.3%) patients with EoE, all of the fragments (n = 7) were pauci-eosinophilic and all of them were positive for ALOX15. Two of 24 patients with reflux (one with 9 and one with 14 IEEs/HPF) were also positive. Fragments from normal controls (0 IEEs/HPF) were negative. Our results support the utility of ALOX15 immunohistochemistry in supporting the diagnosis of EoE in rare situations with strong clinical suspicion where no fragments reach 15 IEEs/HPF.