Eosinophilic esophagitis and comorbid pathology: current state of the problem

Abstract

Eosinophilic esophagitis and asthma are often found as part of comorbid pathology in children and adults, along with other manifestations of atopy. The two diseases share similar pathophysiology due to T-helper type 2 responses, common treatment approaches such as the use of glucocorticosteroids and targeted anti-cytokine biologic therapy. Patients with eosinophilic esophagitis, as with asthma, often have elevated serum markers of atopy, including IgE levels, peripheral eosinophil counts, and T-helper type 2-associated cytokines. A review of the literature shows that the true incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis remains poorly understood due to the difficulty of diagnosing this pathology, which has a mask of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Gastroesophageal reflux disease has been shown to influence asthma through microaspiration, airway hyperresponsiveness, and increased vagal tone. Understanding the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux and eosinophilic esophagitis is also being actively explored. Many works show the high efficacy of PPIs in the initial treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The development of new clinical diagnostic criteria for eosinophilic esophagitis will improve the differential diagnosis of this disease and the improvement of therapeutic strategies for managing this pathology, especially in combination with asthma.