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Updated: May 21, 2026

Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Models to Investigate the Epithelial Barrier in Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Published on: May 10, 2024
[Eosinophilic esophagitis: clinical expression at pediatric age]
Ana Luísa Rodrigues1, Ana Maria Palha, Ana Isabel Lopes
1Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Insights
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic allergic inflammatory disease affecting the esophagus in children and adults. Diagnosis requires biopsies showing high eosinophil counts, and treatment involves dietary changes and swallowed steroids.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
- Allergy
Background:
- Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an emerging chronic esophageal inflammatory disease.
- It affects both children and adults, presenting with varied symptoms across age groups.
Observation:
- Pediatric symptoms include feeding disorders, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
- Adolescent and adult symptoms typically involve dysphagia and esophageal food impaction.
Findings:
- The exact cause of EoE is unknown, but Th2-mediated immuno-allergic mechanisms are suspected.
- Diagnosis requires esophageal biopsies with >15 intraepithelial eosinophils/HPF and exclusion of GERD.
Implications:
- Current treatments focus on allergen avoidance through diet and topical steroid therapy.
- Understanding EoE's variability is crucial for diagnosis and long-term management in pediatric patients.
Abstract:
Eosinophilic esophagitis is an emerging chronic oesophageal inflammatory disease, increasingly recognized both in children and in adults. It is presently accepted that this entity has a chronic course with persistent or relapsing symptoms and a wide range of clinical manifestations at different age groups: in children it is responsible for feeding disorders, vomiting or abdominal pain; in teenagers and adults it causes dysphagia and oesophageal food impaction. The etiopathogenesis of eosinophilic esophagitis has not been yet well established, but immuno-allergic mechanisms associated with a Th2 immune response have been proposed. Diagnosis is based both on clinical and histological grounds, requiring that oesophageal mucosal biopsy specimens obtained from different oesophageal locations contain more than 15 intraepithelial eosinophils per high power field and the exclusion of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Currently proposed effective treatments rely on eviction of putative allergens through dietary exclusion and on treatment with swallowed steroids. We describe two cases (a young child and a teenager) illustrative of the clinical spectrum and course variability of eosinophilic esophagitis at pediatric age. A brief review of current knowledge concerning this puzzling clinical entity is presented, emphasizing specific diagnostic dilemmas and questions concerning its long-term follow-up.
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