Race and Gender Influences the Presentation of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Our understanding of the influence of race and gender on the presentation of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is incomplete. To address this gap, we examined the effect of race and gender on the presentation of EoE. In this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of 755 EoE patients and recorded their demographic, clinical, endoscopic, and histologic information. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the cohort. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of race and gender after accounting for potential confounders. There was a bimodal distribution for age at diagnosis of EoE. Approximately 43% had pediatric onset EoE, while 57% had adult onset EoE. Male (68%) predominance was observed. Dysphagia (57%) and abdominal pain (20%) were among the most common presenting symptoms. Multivariate analysis revealed that African Americans (AAs) were diagnosed earlier [aOR: 0.96 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99); P = 0.01] and had significantly lower odds of manifesting furrows [aOR: 0.30 (95% CI: 0.12-0.77); P = 0.01] as compared with Whites. Males were diagnosed earlier [aOR 0.98 (0.97-0.99; P = 0.04] and had higher odds of having abnormal endoscopic findings [aOR: 1.43 (1.05-1.97); P = 0.02] when compared with females. Race and gender influence the presentation of EoE. Future studies aimed at investigating the interplay between race, gender, and molecular mechanisms of EoE are warranted.