Browsing by Author "Bonis, Peter A."
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Item A Clinical Severity Index for Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Development, Consensus, and Future Directions(Elsevier, 2022) Dellon, Evan S.; Khoury, Paneez; Muir, Amanda B.; Liacouras, Chris A.; Safroneeva, Ekaterina; Atkins, Dan; Collins, Margaret H.; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Falk, Gary W.; Spergel, Jonathan M.; Hirano, Ikuo; Chehade, Mirna; Schoepfer, Alain M.; Menard-Katcher, Calies; Katzka, David A.; Bonis, Peter A.; Bredenoord, Albert J.; Geng, Bob; Jensen, Elizabeth T.; Pesek, Robert D.; Feuerstadt, Paul; Gupta, Sandeep K.; Lucendo, Alfredo J.; Genta, Robert M.; Hiremath, Girish; McGowan, Emily C.; Moawad, Fouad J.; Peterson, Kathryn A.; Rothenberg, Marc E.; Straumann, Alex; Furuta, Glenn T.; Aceves, Seema S.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground & aims: Disease activity and severity of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) dictate therapeutic options and management, but the decision-making process for determining severity varies among practitioners. To reduce variability in practice patterns and help clinicians monitor the clinical course of the disease in an office setting, we aimed to create an international consensus severity scoring index for EoE. Methods: A multidisciplinary international group of adult and pediatric EoE researchers and clinicians, as well as non-EoE allergy immunology and gastroenterology experts, formed 3 teams to review the existing literature on histology, endoscopy, and symptoms of EoE in the context of progression and severity. A steering committee convened a 1-day virtual meeting to reach consensus on each team's opinion on salient features of severity across key clinicopathologic domains and distill features that would allow providers to categorize disease severity. Results: Symptom features and complications and inflammatory and fibrostenotic features on both endoscopic and histologic examination were collated into a simplified scoring system-the Index of Severity for Eosinophilic Esophagitis (I-SEE)-that can be completed at routine clinic visits to assess disease severity using a point scale of 0-6 for mild, 7-14 for moderate, and ≥15 for severe EoE. Conclusions: A multidisciplinary team of experts iteratively created a clinically usable EoE severity scoring system denominated "I-SEE" to guide practitioners in EoE management by standardizing disease components reflecting disease severity beyond eosinophil counts. I-SEE should be validated and refined using data from future clinical trials and routine clinical practice to increase its utilization and functionality.Item Creating a multi-center rare disease consortium - the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR)(IOS Press, 2017-12-18) Cheng, Katherine; Gupta, Sandeep K.; Kantor, Susanna; Kuhl, Jonathan T.; Aceves, Seema S.; Bonis, Peter A.; Capocelli, Kelley E.; Carpenter, Christina; Chehade, Mirna; Collins, Margaret H.; Dellon, Evan S.; Falk, Gary W.; Gopal-Srivastava, Rashmi; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Hirano, Ikuo; King, Eileen C.; Leung, John; Krischer, Jeffrey P.; Mukkada, Vincent A.; Schoepfer, Alain; Spergel, Jonathan M.; Straumann, Alex; Yang, Guang-Yu; Furuta, Glenn T.; Rothenberg, Marc E.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineEosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) affect various segments of the gastrointestinal tract. Since these disorders are rare, collaboration is essential to enroll subjects in clinical studies and study the broader population. The Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN), a program of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), funded the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) in 2014 to advance the field of EGIDs. CEGIR facilitates collaboration among various centers, subspecialties, patients, professional organizations and patient-advocacy groups and includes 14 clinical sites. It has successfully initiated two large multi-center clinical studies looking to refine EGID diagnoses and management. Several pilot studies are underway that focus on various aspects of EGIDs including novel therapeutic interventions, diagnostic and monitoring methods, and the role of the microbiome in pathogenesis. CEGIR currently nurtures five physician-scholars through a career training development program and has published more than 40 manuscripts since its inception. This review focuses on CEGIR's operating model and progress and how it facilitates a framework for exchange of ideas and stimulates research and innovation. This consortium provides a model for progress on other potential clinical areas.Item Esophageal Epithelium and Lamina Propria Are Unevenly Involved in Eosinophilic Esophagitis(Elsevier, 2023-03-24) Hiremath, Girish; Sun, Lili; Collins, Margaret H.; Bonis, Peter A.; Arva, Nicoleta C.; Capocelli, Kelley E.; Chehade, Mirna; Davis, Carla M.; Falk, Gary W.; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Gupta, Sandeep K.; Hirano, Ikuo; Leung, John; Khoury, Paneez; Mukkada, Vincent A.; Martin, Lisa J.; Spergel, Jonathan M.; Wechsler, Joshua B.; Yang, Guang-Yu; Aceves, Seema S.; Furuta, Glenn T.; Rothenberg, Marc E.; Koyama, Tatsuki; Dellon, Evan S.; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground & Aims The nature of the involvement of esophageal tissue in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is unclear. We estimated the intrabiopsy site agreements of the EoE Histologic Scoring System (EoEHSS) scores for the grade (degree) and stage (extent) of involvement of the esophageal epithelial and lamina propria and examined if the EoE activity status influenced the intrabiopsy site agreement. Methods Demographic, clinical, and EoEHSS scores collected as part of the prospective Outcome Measures for Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases Across Ages study were analyzed. A weighted Cohen’s kappa agreement coefficient (k) was used to calculate the pairwise agreements for proximal:distal, proximal:middle, and middle:distal esophageal biopsy sites, separately for grade and stage scores, for each of the 8 components of EoEHSS. A k > 0.75 was considered uniform involvement. Inactive EoE was defined as fewer than 15 eosinophils per high-powered field. Results EoEHSS scores from 1263 esophageal biopsy specimens were analyzed. The k for the stage of involvement of the dilated intercellular spaces across all 3 sites in inactive EoE was consistently greater than 0.75 (range, 0.87–0.99). The k for lamina propria fibrosis was greater than 0.75 across some of the biopsy sites but not across all 3. Otherwise, the k for all other features, for both grade and stage, irrespective of the disease activity status, was 0.75 or less (range, 0.00–0.74). Conclusions Except for the extent of involvement of dilated intercellular spaces in inactive EoE, the remaining epithelial features and lamina propria are involved unevenly across biopsy sites in EoE, irrespective of the disease activity status. This study enhances our understanding of the effects of EoE on esophageal tissue pathology.Item International consensus recommendations for eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease nomenclature(Elsevier, 2022-02-16) Dellon, Evan S.; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Abonia, J. Pablo; Alexander, Jeffrey A.; Arva, Nicoleta C.; Atkins, Dan; Attwood, Stephen E.; Auth, Marcus K.H.; Bailey, Dominique D.; Biederman, Luc; Blanchard, Carine; Bonis, Peter A.; Bose, Paroma; Bredenoord, Albert J.; Chang, Joy W.; Chehade, Mirna; Collins, Margaret H.; Di Lorenzo, Carlo; Dias, Jorge Amil; Dohil, Ranjan; Dupont, Christophe; Falk, Gary W.; Ferreira, Cristina T.; Fox, Adam T.; Genta, Robert M.; Greuter, Thomas; Gupta, Sandeep K.; Hirano, Ikuo; Hiremath, Girish S.; Horsley-Silva, Jennifer L.; Ishihara, Shunji; Ishimura, Norihisa; Jensen, Elizabeth T.; Gutiérrez-Junquera, Carolina; Katzka, David A.; Khoury, Paneez; Kinoshita, Yoshikazu; Kliewer, Kara L.; Koletzko, Sibylle; Leung, John; Liacouras, Chris A.; Lucendo, Alfredo J.; Martin, Lisa J.; McGowan, Emily C.; Menard-Katcher, Calies; Metz, David C.; Miller, Talya L.; Moawad, Fouad J.; Muir, Amanda B.; Mukkada, Vincent A.; Murch, Simon; Nhu, Quan M.; Nomura, Ichiro; Nurko, Samuel; Ohtsuka, Yoshikazu; Oliva, Salvatore; Orel, Rok; Papadopoulou, Alexandra; Patel, Dhyanesh A.; Pesek, Robert D.; Peterson, Kathryn A.; Philpott, Hamish; Putnam, Philip E.; Richter, Joel E.; Rosen, Rachel; Ruffner, Melanie A.; Safroneeva, Ekaterina; Schreiner, Philipp; Schoepfer, Alain; Schroeder, Shauna R.; Shah, Neil; Souza, Rhonda F.; Spechler, Stuart J.; Spergel, Jonathan M.; Straumann, Alex; Talley, Nicholas J.; Thapar, Nikhil; Vandenplas, Yvan; Venkatesh, Rajitha D.; Vieira, Mario C.; von Arnim, Ulrike; Walker, Marjorie M.; Wechsler, Joshua B.; Wershil, Barry K.; Wright, Benjamin L.; Yamada, Yoshiyuki; Yang, Guang-Yu; Zevit, Noam; Rothenberg, Marc E.; Furuta, Glenn T.; Aceves, Seema S.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground & Aims Substantial heterogeneity in terminology used for eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGID), particularly the catchall term “eosinophilic gastroenteritis”, limits clinical and research advances. We aimed to achieve an international consensus for standardized EGID nomenclature. Methods This consensus process utilized Delphi methodology. An initial naming framework was proposed and refined in iterative fashion, then assessed in a first round of Delphi voting. Results were discussed in two consensus meetings, the framework was updated, and re-assessed in a second Delphi vote, with a 70% threshold set for agreement. Results Of 91 experts participating, 85 (93%) completed the first and 82 (90%) completed the second Delphi surveys. Consensus was reached on all but two statements. “EGID” was the preferred umbrella term for disorders of GI tract eosinophilic inflammation in the absence of secondary causes (100% agreement). Involved GI tract segments will be named specifically and use an “Eo” abbreviation convention: eosinophilic gastritis (now abbreviated EoG), eosinophilic enteritis (EoN), and eosinophilic colitis (EoC). The term “eosinophilic gastroenteritis” is no longer preferred as the overall name (96% agreement). When >2 GI tract areas are involved, the name should reflect all of the involved areas. Conclusions This international process resulted in consensus for updated EGID nomenclature for both clinical and research use. EGID will be the umbrella term rather than “eosinophilic gastroenteritis”, and specific naming conventions by location of GI tract involvement are recommended. As more data are developed, this framework can be updated to reflect best practices and the underlying science.Item Long-Lasting Dissociation of Esophageal Eosinophilia and Symptoms Following Dilation in Adults with Eosinophilic Esophagitis(Elsevier, 2021-05-29) Safroneeva, Ekaterina; Pan, Zhaoxing; King, Eileen; Martin, Lisa J.; Collins, Margaret H.; Yang, Guang-Yu; Capocelli, Kelley E.; Arva, Nicoleta C.; Abonia, J. Pablo; Atkins, Dan; Bonis, Peter A.; Dellon, Evan S.; Falk, Gary W.; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Gupta, Sandeep K.; Hirano, Ikuo; Leung, John; Menard-Katcher, Paul A.; Mukkada, Vincent A.; Schoepfer, Alain M.; Spergel, Jonathan M.; Wershil, Barry K.; Rothenberg, Marc E.; Aceves, Seema S.; Furuta, Glenn T.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground and aims Esophageal dilation improves dysphagia but not inflammation in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) patients. We investigated if dilation modifies the association between symptoms and esophageal eosinophil count (eos/hpf). Methods Adults enrolled in a multisite, prospective Consortium of Gastrointestinal Eosinophilic Disease Researchers OMEGA observational study (NCT02523118) completed the symptom-based EoE activity index (EEsAI) patient-reported outcome instrument and underwent endoscopy with biopsies. Patients were stratified based on dilation status as absent, performed ≤1 and >1 year before endoscopy. Assessments included Spearman’s correlations of the relationship between symptoms and eos/hpf and linear regression with EEsAI as the outcome, eos/hpf as predictor, and interaction for dilation and eos/hpf. Results Amongst 100 patients (n=61 male, median age 37 years), 15 and 40 patients underwent dilation ≤1 year and >1 year before index endoscopy, respectively. In non-dilated patients, association between eos/hpf and symptoms was moderate (Rho=0.49, p-value<0.001); for 10 eos/hpf increase, the predicted EEsAI increased by 2.69 (p-value=0.002). In patients dilated ≤1 and >1 year before index endoscopy, this association was abolished (Rho=-0.38, p-value=0.157 for ≤1 year and Rho=0.02, p-value=0.883 >1 year); for 10 eos/hpf increase, the predicted EEsAI changed by -1.64 (p-value=0.183) and 0.78 (p-value=0.494), respectively). Dilation modifies association between symptoms and eos/hpf (p-value=0.005 and p-value=0.187 for interaction terms of eos/hpf and dilation ≤1 year and >1 year before index endoscopy, respectively). Conclusion In non-dilated EoE adults, eos/hpf correlates modestly with symptoms; this correlation was no longer appreciated in dilated patients, and the dilation effects lasted longer than one year. Dilation status should be considered in studies evaluating EoE treatment and for clinical follow-up.Item Loss of Endothelial TSPAN12 Promotes Fibrostenotic Eosinophilic Esophagitis via Endothelial Cell–Fibroblast Crosstalk(AGA, 2022-02) Shoda, Tetsuo; Wen, Ting; Caldwell, Julie M.; Morgenstern, Netali Ben-Baruch; Osswald, Garrett A.; Rochman, Mark; Mack, Lydia E.; Felton, Jennifer M.; Abonia, J. Pablo; Arva, Nicoleta C.; Atkina, Dan; Bonis, Peter A.; Capocelli, Kelley E.; Collins, Margaret H.; Dellon, Evan S.; Falk, Gary W.; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Gupta, Sandeep K.; Hirano, Ikuo; Leung, John; Menard-Katcher, Paul A.; Mukkada, Vincent A.; Putnam, Philip E.; Rudman Spergel, Amanda K.; Spergel, Jonathan M.; Wechsler, Joshua B.; Yang, Guang-Yu; Aceves, Seema S.; Furuta, Glenn T.; Rothenberg, Marc E.; Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) Investigators Group; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground & Aims Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) can progress to fibrostenosis by unclear mechanisms. Herein, we investigated gene dysregulation in fibrostenotic EoE, its association with clinical parameters and specific pathways, and the functional consequences. Methods Esophageal biopsies from subjects with EoE were collected across 11 Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) sites (n = 311) and two independent replication cohorts (n = 83). Inclusion criteria for fibrostenotic EoE were endoscopic rings, stricture, and/or a history of dilation. Endoscopic, histologic, and molecular features were assessed by the EoE endoscopic reference score (EREFS), EoE Histology Scoring System (HSS), EoE Diagnostic Panel (EDP), and RNA sequencing. Esophageal endothelial TSPAN12 expression and functional effects on barrier integrity and gene expression were analyzed in vitro. Results TSPAN12 was the gene most correlated with fibrostenosis (r = -0.40, P < .001). TSPAN12 was lower in fibrostenotic EoE and correlated with EREFS, EDP, and HSS (r = 0.34–0.47, P < .001). Lower TSPAN12 associated with smaller esophageal diameter (r = 0.44, P = .03), increased lamina propria fibrosis (r = -0.41, P < .001), and genes enriched in cell cycle–related pathways. IL-13 reduced TSPAN12 expression in endothelial cells. Conversely, anti-IL-13 therapy increased TSPAN12 expression. TSPAN12 gene silencing increased endothelial cell permeability and dysregulated genes associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) pathways. Endothelial cell–fibroblast crosstalk induced ECM changes relevant to esophageal remodeling. Conclusions Patients with fibrostenotic EoE express decreased levels of endothelial TSPAN12. We propose that IL-13 decreases TSPAN12, likely contributing to the chronicity of EoE by promoting tissue remodeling through fibroblast-endothelial cell crosstalk.Item Monitoring patients with eosinophilic esophagitis in routine clinical practice - International Expert Recommendations(Elsevier, 2023) von Arnim, Ulrike; Biedermann, Luc; Aceves, Seema S.; Bonis, Peter A.; Collins, Margaret H.; Dellon, Evan S.; Furuta, Glenn T.; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Gupta, Sandeep; Hirano, Ikuo; Lucendo, Alfredo J.; Miehlke, Stephan; Oliva, Salvatore; Schlag, Christoph; Schoepfer, Alain; Straumann, Alex; Vieth, Michael; Bredenoord, Albert J.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground & Aims There are no studies or recommendations on optimal monitoring strategies for patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Our objective was to develop guidance on how to monitor EoE patients in routine clinical practice, on the basis of available clinical evidence and expert opinion. Methods A multidisciplinary, international group of EoE experts identified the following important three questions during several consensus meetings: why, by what means and when to monitor EoE patients. A steering committee was named and three teams were formed to review literature and to formulate statements for each topic. In a Delphi survey a level of agreement of ≥75% was defined as threshold value for acceptance. In a final conference, results were presented, critical points and comments on the statements were discussed and statements were rephrased/rewritten if necessary. Results 18 EoE experts (14 adult and pediatric gastroenterologists, 2 pathologists and 2 allergists) with a median of 21.7 years in clinical practice, mostly academic or university- based, completed the Delphi survey, which included 11 statements and a proposed algorithm for monitoring EoE patients. Each statement attained ≥75% agreement. Participants discussed and debated mostly about the statement concerning surveillance intervals for EoE patients with stable disease. Conclusions It was concluded that effective maintenance treatment probably reduces the development of EoE complications, and regular, structured and under certain conditions individualized clinical follow-up is recommended to assess disease activity while opening a window to monitoring side-effects, adjusting therapy and encouraging adherence to treatment. Follow-up should comprise symptom assessment and periodic or repeated endoscopy with histological assessment in specific EoE settings.Item One Food versus Six Food Elimination Diet Therapy for Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial(Elsevier, 2023) Kliewer, Kara L.; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Dellon, Evan S.; Katzka, David A.; Abonia, Juan P.; Aceves, Seema S.; Arva, Nicoleta C.; Besse, John A.; Bonis, Peter A.; Caldwell, Julie M.; Capocelli, Kelley E.; Chehade, Mirna; Cianferoni, Antonella; Collins, Margaret H.; Falk, Gary W.; Gupta, Sandeep K.; Hirano, Ikuo; Krischer, Jeffrey P.; Leung, John; Martin, Lisa J.; Menard-Katcher, Paul; Mukkada, Vincent A.; Peterson, Kathryn A.; Shoda, Tetsuo; Rudman Spergel, Amanda K.; Spergel, Jonathan M.; Yang, Guang-Yu; Zhang, Xue; Furuta, Glenn T.; Rothenberg, Marc E.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground: Empirical elimination diets are effective for achieving histological remission in eosinophilic oesophagitis, but randomised trials comparing diet therapies are lacking. We aimed to compare a six-food elimination diet (6FED) with a one-food elimination diet (1FED) for the treatment of adults with eosinophilic oesophagitis. Methods: We conducted a multicentre, randomised, open-label trial across ten sites of the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers in the USA. Adults aged 18-60 years with active, symptomatic eosinophilic oesophagitis were centrally randomly allocated (1:1; block size of four) to 1FED (animal milk) or 6FED (animal milk, wheat, egg, soy, fish and shellfish, and peanut and tree nuts) for 6 weeks. Randomisation was stratified by age, enrolling site, and gender. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with histological remission (peak oesophageal count <15 eosinophils per high-power field [eos/hpf]). Key secondary endpoints were the proportions with complete histological remission (peak count ≤1 eos/hpf) and partial remission (peak counts ≤10 and ≤6 eos/hpf) and changes from baseline in peak eosinophil count and scores on the Eosinophilic Esophagitis Histology Scoring System (EoEHSS), Eosinophilic Esophagitis Endoscopic Reference Score (EREFS), Eosinophilic Esophagitis Activity Index (EEsAI), and quality of life (Adult Eosinophilic Esophagitis Quality-of-Life and Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Global Health questionnaires). Individuals without histological response to 1FED could proceed to 6FED, and those without histological response to 6FED could proceed to swallowed topical fluticasone propionate 880 μg twice per day (with unrestricted diet), for 6 weeks. Histological remission after switching therapy was assessed as a secondary endpoint. Efficacy and safety analyses were done in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02778867, and is completed. Findings: Between May 23, 2016, and March 6, 2019, 129 patients (70 [54%] men and 59 [46%] women; mean age 37·0 years [SD 10·3]) were enrolled, randomly assigned to 1FED (n=67) or 6FED (n=62), and included in the ITT population. At 6 weeks, 25 (40%) of 62 patients in the 6FED group had histological remission compared with 23 (34%) of 67 in the 1FED group (difference 6% [95% CI -11 to 23]; p=0·58). We found no significant difference between the groups at stricter thresholds for partial remission (≤10 eos/hpf, difference 7% [-9 to 24], p=0·46; ≤6 eos/hpf, 14% [-0 to 29], p=0·069); the proportion with complete remission was significantly higher in the 6FED group than in the 1FED group (difference 13% [2 to 25]; p=0·031). Peak eosinophil counts decreased in both groups (geometric mean ratio 0·72 [0·43 to 1·20]; p=0·21). For 6FED versus 1FED, mean changes from baseline in EoEHSS (-0·23 vs -0·15; difference -0·08 [-0·21 to 0·05]; p=0·23), EREFS (-1·0 vs -0·6; difference -0·4 [-1·1 to 0·3]; p=0·28), and EEsAI (-8·2 vs -3·0; difference -5·2 [-11·2 to 0·8]; p=0·091) were not significantly different. Changes in quality-of-life scores were small and similar between the groups. No adverse event was observed in more than 5% of patients in either diet group. For patients without histological response to 1FED who proceeded to 6FED, nine (43%) of 21 reached histological remission; for patients without histological response to 6FED who proceeded to fluticasone propionate, nine (82%) of 11 reached histological remission. Interpretation: Histological remission rates and improvements in histological and endoscopic features were similar after 1FED and 6FED in adults with eosinophilic oesophagitis. 6FED had efficacy in just less than half of 1FED non-responders and steroids had efficacy in most 6FED non-responders. Our findings indicate that eliminating animal milk alone is an acceptable initial dietary therapy for eosinophilic oesophagitis.Item Prospective Endoscopic Activity Assessment for Eosinophilic Gastritis in a Multisite Cohort(Wolters Kluwer, 2022) Hirano, Ikuo; Collins, Margaret H.; King, Eileen; Sun, Qin; Chehade, Mirna; Abonia, J. Pablo; Bonis, Peter A.; Capocelli, Kelly E.; Dellon, Evan S.; Falk, Gary W.; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Gupta, Sandeep K.; Leung, John; Katzka, David; Menard-Katcher, Paul; Khoury, Paneez; Klion, Amy; Mukkada, Vincent A.; Peterson, Kathryn; Shoda, Tetsuo; Rudman-Spergel, Amanda K.; Spergel, Jonathan A.; Yang, Guang-Yu; Rothenberg, Marc E.; Aceves, Seema S.; Furuta, Glenn T.; CEGIR investigators; Pediatrics, School of MedicineIntroduction: Eosinophilic gastritis (EG) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the stomach characterized by eosinophil-predominant gastric mucosal inflammation and gastrointestinal symptoms. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate endoscopic features in a large series of children and adults with EG to better understand the endoscopic manifestations and develop a standardized instrument for investigations. Methods: Data were prospectively collected as part of the Consortium for Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers, a national collaborative network. Endoscopic features were prospectively recorded using a system specifically developed for EG, the EG Endoscopic Reference System (EG-REFS). Correlations were made between EG-REFS and clinical and histologic features. Results: Of 98 patients with EG, 65 underwent assessments using EG-REFS. The most common findings were erythema (72%), raised lesions (49%), erosions (46%), and granularity (35%); only 8% of patients with active histology (≥30 eosinophils/high-power field) exhibited no endoscopic findings. A strong correlation between EG-REFS scores and physician global assessment of endoscopy severity was demonstrated (Spearman r = 0.84, P < 0.0001). The overall score and specific components of EG-REFS were more common in the antrum than in the fundus or body. EG-REFS severity was significantly correlated with active histology, defined by a threshold of ≥30 eosinophils/high-power field (P = 0.0002). Discussion: Prospective application of EG-REFS identified gastric features with a strong correlation with physician global assessment of endoscopic activity in EG. Endoscopic features demonstrated greater severity in patients with active histology and a predilection for the gastric antrum. Further development of EG-REFS should improve its utility in clinical studies.Item Should wheat, barley, rye, and/or gluten be avoided in a 6-food elimination diet?(Elsevier, 2016-04) Kliewer, Kara L.; Venter, Carina; Cassin, Alison M.; Abonia, J. Pablo; Aceves, Seema S.; Bonis, Peter A.; Dellon, Evan S.; Falk, Gary W.; Furuta, Glenn T.; Gonsalves, Nirmala; Gupta, Sandeep K.; Hirano, Ikuo; Kagalwalla, Amir; Leung, John; Mukkada, Vincent A.; Spergel, Jonathan M.; Rothenberg, Marc E.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineEosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a food antigen-mediated disease, is effectively treated with the dietary elimination of 6 foods commonly associated with food allergies (milk, wheat, egg, soy, tree nuts/peanuts, and fish/shellfish). Because wheat shares homologous proteins (including gluten) with barley and rye and can also be processed with these grains, some clinicians have suggested that barley and rye might also trigger EoE as a result of cross-reaction and/or cross-contamination with wheat. In this article, we discuss the theoretical risks of cross-reactivity and cross-contamination among wheat, barley, and rye proteins (including gluten); assess common practices at EoE treatment centers; and provide recommendations for dietary treatment and future studies of EoE.