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Raising awareness for eosinophilic oesophagitis

Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) is an allergic inflammatory condition of the esophagus and is a relatively newly recognized disease in Europe. “This clinical study shows an elemental, amino acid-based diet, relieves EoE-associated clinical symptoms, such as swallowing difficulties and chest pain in adult patients,” says Marijn Warners following the publication of ‘Elemental diet decreases inflammation and improves symptoms in adult eosinophilic oesophagitis patients ’ in AP&T (Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics). An amino acid-based formula is an elemental diet in which cow’s milk and other whole proteins are replaced by amino acids, which enables food allergic patients to get the necessary nutrients without allergic symptoms.

Marijn Warners is MD, and PhD candidate, of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and the Tytgat Institute for Liver and GI Research at the Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

“Elemental diets are effective for the dietary management of children with EoE, but studies on the effect of elemental diets in adults are scarce. Therefore the results of this study are also an important step in raising awareness for EoE, as EoE symptoms are not always recognized in adults and children.” Marijn Warners continues.

Conclusions
The study included 21 patients with active EoE and in total 17 patients completed the diet. “In adult EoE patients,[dietary management with]an elemental, amino acid-based diet resolves tissue inflammation in 71% of the patients and relieves associated clinical symptoms such as swallowing difficulties and chest pain in more than 90% of the patients as Marijn Warners also told Healio Gastroenterology . Additionally the diet was accepted while poor palatability challenges dietary adherence. Marijn Warners: “Elemental diets are known for a very different taste compared to a normal diet, which may result in difficulties for a patient to maintain the diet. Using a new amino acid-based formula with improved taste, which was also systematically tested by the patients before entering the study, has led to improved adherence to the elemental diet.”
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Future publication
Additional study results have been published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Allergy School on Eosinophilic Oesophagitis
To raise awareness about EoE the EAACI  (European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology organized an Allergy School  on EoE in Rotterdam, the Netherlands from 16 to 18 March 2017. The aim of the Allergy School is to educate young clinicians and researchers interested in Eosinophilic Oesophagitis and stimulate the scientific and social contact between them.