Pollen-food allergy syndrome is a common allergic comorbidity in adults with eosinophilic esophagitis.

ABSTRACT

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is associated with atopic diseases including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis; however, limited data exist on the correlation between pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS) and EoE. We analyzed 346 adults with EoE treated at a single center between 2002 and 2016. Demographic and EoE-specific data including clinical features and measures of EoE disease severity and treatments were collected. The presence of other atopic diseases, family history, prevalence of peripheral eosinophilia and elevated IgE, and details of PFAS triggers were collected. Twenty six percent of the 346 subjects in our cohort had both EoE and PFAS (EoE-PFAS). Compared to subjects with EoE alone, subjects with EoE-PFAS had an increased frequency of allergic rhinitis (86.7% vs. 64.2%, P < 0.001) and family history of allergies (71.1% vs. 53.3%, P = 0.003), and comprised a higher proportion of EoE diagnoses made in the spring (Χ2 < 0.001). 43.3% of subjects with concurrent EoE and PFAS opted for treatment with elimination diet, and these measures failed to induce remission in 46.2% of cases. In most cases, elimination diet failed despite strict avoidance of PFAS trigger foods in addition to common EoE triggers including dairy, wheat, and eggs. EoE-PFAS was also associated with higher serum IgE at the time of EoE diagnosis (460.6 vs. 289.9, P < 0.019). Allergic rhinitis and a family history of food allergy were independently associated with having EoE-PFAS. The most common triggers of PFAS in adults with EoE are apples (21.1%), carrots (15.5%), and peaches (15.5%). Along with asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis, PFAS is a common allergic comorbidity that is highly associated with EoE. Further studies aimed at understanding mechanistic similarities and differences of PFAS and EoE may shed light on the pathogenesis of these closely related food allergy syndromes.