A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Esophageal Clearance Times of Oral Budesonide Preparations.

BACKGROUND: Topical steroids prepared as oral viscous slurries have become common in the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis. Esophageal mucosal contact time correlates with clinical and histologic improvement. AIM: To compare the mucosal contact time of alternative oral viscous budesonide (OVB) slurries with the conventional sucralose OVB. METHODS: A blinded randomized crossover trial investigating esophageal clearance of three OVB slurry preparations was done on healthy adults. Honey and xanthan gum OVB slurries were compared with standard sucralose OVB in 24 randomly assigned subjects. Each subject ingested the sucralose OVB and either the honey or xanthan gum OVB slurries. The esophageal clearance of each slurry was evaluated as an area under the curve (AUC) using 1 millicurie of technetium-99m-sulfur colloid (Tc99) co-administered in each OVB preparation using nuclear scintigraphy. A standardized taste survey was also administered. RESULTS: Xanthan gum had greater mucosal contact time compared to sucralose as measured by a higher AUC at 3 min (P = 0.002), while honey showed no significant difference in esophageal clearance relative to sucralose. Taste scores were significantly higher in the honey group, while scores for xanthan gum were no different from standard sucralose. CONCLUSION: OVB slurries utilizing xanthan gum may be a superior alternative to a sucralose-based slurry due to its increased mucosal contact time and similar taste tolerance. Honey may be a suitable alternative as well, due to its similar contact time and favorable taste.

Swallowed glucocorticoid therapy for eosinophilic esophagitis in children does not suppress adrenal function.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of chronic swallowed glucocorticoids on adrenal function during the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in children. METHODS: Serum cortisol levels were obtained in children with EoE pre- and post-treatment with swallowed glucocorticoids. Exclusion criteria included those on any additional steroid therapy. Once diagnosed with EoE by esophageal biopsy, subjects were treated based on current standard of care with either swallowed fluticasone or budesonide. At the time of follow-up, esophagogastroduodenoscopy and blood sampling was repeated. Both pre- and post-treatment serum cortisol samples were collected fasting, between 07:00 and 10:00, and determined using a competitive binding method assay. The distribution of differences in cortisol levels between the pre- and post-treatment samples satisfied the assumption for normality and were subsequently analyzed using the paired t-test. RESULTS: Pre- and post-treatment serum cortisol levels were examined in 14 children who met clinical and histological diagnostic criteria for EoE. Mean age was 10.1 years (range 2-17 years) with 71% male and 29% female subjects. Swallowed glucocorticoid treatment included fluticasone in 79% and budesonide in 21% of subjects. Mean dosage of fluticasone was 704 µg daily (range 220-880 µg daily) and budesonide 0.8 mg daily (range 0.5-1 mg daily), along with a mean treatment length of 17 weeks (range 8-43 weeks). No significant difference in serum cortisol was found following treatment with swallowed fluticasone or budesonide (mean change 1.9 µg/dL, p=0.75, SD of the change=21.2). CONCLUSIONS: Swallowed glucocorticoid therapy does not appear to significantly affect the adrenal axis in children, and therefore, may represent a safe therapy for EoE.

Late-onset hypercalcemia in Williams-Beuren syndrome: importance of early and frequent screening and intervention.

Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) affects multiple systems and has a known association with infantile hypercalcemia that is typically mild and transient. We report a 12-month-old female previously diagnosed with WBS by a chromosomal microarray, who was admitted for failure to thrive. Upon evaluation, serum calcium of 19.0 mg/dL (4.75 mmol/L) (normal 9-11 mg/dL, SI: 2.25-2.75 mmol/L) and serum ionized calcium of 2.33 mmol/L (normal 1.22-1.37 mmol/L) were revealed. Her hypercalcemia correlated with symptoms of irritability, poor feeding, mild hypotonia, and constipation, which were increasingly present for 6 months prior to admission. This calcium level is one of the highest reported in association with WBS. Additionally, while hypercalcemia associated with WBS typically resolves by the first year, this case represents a later presentation as compared to other reports. The patient initially responded to conservative treatment with intravenous fluids administration, loop diuretic therapy, and dietary calcium restriction. However, she subsequently had rebound hypercalcemia 5 weeks after treatment and received one dose of intravenous bisphosphonate with subsequent resolution of her hypercalcemia. Our report highlights the importance of screening, early management, and recognition of late presentation hypercalcemia in the setting of WBS.