Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011168 (dysphagia)
 15,644 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic gastritis is related to eosinophilic gastroenteritis, varying only in regards to the extent of disease and small bowel involvement. Common symptoms reported are similar to our patient's including: abdominal pain, epigastric pain, anorexia, bloating, weight loss, diarrhea, ankle edema, dysphagia, melaena and postprandial nausea and vomiting. Microscopic features of eosinophilic infiltration usually occur in the lamina propria or submucosa with perivascular aggregates. The disease is likely mediated by eosinophils activated by various cytokines and chemokines. Therapy centers around the use of immunosuppressive agents and dietary therapy if food allergy is a factor. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient is a 31 year old Caucasian female with a past medical history significant for ulcerative colitis. She presented with recurrent bouts of vomiting, abdominal pain and chest discomfort of 11 months duration. The bouts of vomiting had been reoccurring every 7-10 days, with each episode lasting for 1-3 days. This was associated with extreme weakness and cachexia. Gastric biopsies revealed intense eosinophilic infiltration. The patient responded to glucocorticoids and azathioprine. The differential diagnosis and molecular pathogenesis of eosinophilic gastritis as well as the molecular effects of glucocorticoids in eosinophilic disorders are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The patient responded to a combination of glucocorticosteroids and azathioprine with decreased eosinophilia and symptoms. It is likely that eosinophil-active cytokines such as interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and IL-5 play pivotal roles in this disease. Chemokines such as eotaxin may be involved in eosinophil recruitment. These mediators are downregulated or inhibited by the use of immunosuppressive medications.
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PMID:Eosinophilia in a patient with cyclical vomiting: a case report. 1514 61

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is a disease whose presence has exploded in clinical practice. Because of its relative novelty, the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of EE are constantly evolving. EE was first recognized as a disease predominantly of children, but the publications in the last few years describe it like an adult disease, too. It is not known if its frequency is truly increasing in an antigen underexposed society or the disease was previously not recognized. The diagnosis requires the histologic finding of more than 20 eosinophils per high powered field in esophageal squamous mucosa. The specific antigens that initiate EE are unknown, but both food and aeroallergens are involved. The mechanisms by which EE induces esophageal dis-motility, chronic inflammation with fibrosis, and stricture formation are still unclear. The mucosa of the patients affected by EE contains increased numbers of CD8 lymphocytes, tumor necrosis factor alpha, I1-5 and eotaxin. The main symptoms in adult are: dysphagia and food impaction. Endoscopy commonly reveals strictures, mucosal rings, linear furrowing, corrugation, and white plaques. The common treatment regimens in children and adults involve the ingestion of topical corticosteroids.
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PMID:[Eosinophilic esophagitis--from a rare pediatric disease to the forefront of adult gastroenterology]. 1838 65