Eosinophilic Oesophagitis and Environmental Allergen Connection

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Environmental allergens have been implicated in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic oesophagitis. To determine whether a seasonal variation exists in the diagnoses of eosinophilic oesophagitis and whether there is a correlation with seasonal pollen count, daily pollen counts for grass, trees and weeds were obtained from a certified counting station. Per cent of eosinophilic oesophagitis cases were collated seasonally and compared with mean pollen counts for grass, trees and weeds during the same time period.

A total of 127 eosinophilic oesophagitis cases were identified. The highest percentage of cases was diagnosed in the spring, while the least percentage occurred in the winter. There was a significant association between per cent eosinophilic oesophagitis cases diagnosed seasonally and mean grass pollen count, but not with trees or weeds.

A seasonal variation was seen in the diagnosis of eosinophilic oesophagitis which correlated with pollen counts. These findings have important implications regarding the pathogenesis of eosinophilic oesophagitis.