title: Systematic review: Eosinophilic esophagitis in Asian countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence and the clinical characteristics of Asian patients with eosinophilic esophagitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic search of the PubMed and Web of Science databases for original studies, case series, and individual case reports of eosinophilic esophagitis in Asian countries published from January 1980 to January 2015. We found 66 and 80 articles in the PubMed and Web of Science databases, respectively; 24 duplicate articles were removed. After excluding animal studies, articles not written in English, and meeting abstracts, 25 articles containing 217 patients were selected for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sample size-weighted mean values were determined for all pooled prevalence data and clinical characteristics. The mean age of the adult patients with eosinophilic esophagitis was approximately 50 years, and 73% of these patients were male. They frequently presented with allergic diseases including bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergy, and atopic dermatitis. Bronchial asthma was the most frequent comorbid allergic disease, occurring in 24% of patients with eosinophilic esophagitis. Dysphagia was the primary symptom reported; 44% of the patients complained of dysphagia. Although laboratory blood tests are not adequately sensitive for an accurate diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis, endoscopic examinations revealed abnormal findings typical of this disease, including longitudinal furrows and concentric rings, in 82% of the cases. One-third of the cases responded to proton pump inhibitor administration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The characteristics of eosinophilic esophagitis in Asian patients were similar to those reported in Western patients, indicating that this disease displays a similar pathogenesis between Western and Asian patients.
authors.affiliation: Yoshikazu Kinoshita, Norihisa Ishimura, Naoki Oshima, Shunji Ishihara, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.affiliation: Yoshikazu Kinoshita, Norihisa Ishimura, Naoki Oshima, Shunji Ishihara, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Norihisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishimura
authors.affiliation: Yoshikazu Kinoshita, Norihisa Ishimura, Naoki Oshima, Shunji Ishihara, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.affiliation: Yoshikazu Kinoshita, Norihisa Ishimura, Naoki Oshima, Shunji Ishihara, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishihara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D044466:Asian People; D001249:Asthma / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D057765:Eosinophilic Esophagitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors
keywords: Allergy; Asia; Endoscopy; Eosinophilic esophagitis; Prevalence; Symptom; Treatment