title: Elemental diet decreases inflammation and improves symptoms in adult eosinophilic oesophagitis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) is a chronic disease, driven by food allergens. Elemental diets are effective for the management of children with EoE, but studies on the effect of elemental diets in adults are scarce and poor palatability challenges dietary adherence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of an elemental diet (Neocate, Nutricia, Utrecht, the Netherlands) on the inflammation, symptoms and endoscopic signs in adult EoE patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study, 21 patients with active EoE, confirmed by biopsies showing ≥15 eosinophils per microscopic high power field (HPF) and symptoms of oesophageal dysfunction were included. Patients underwent endoscopy before and 4 weeks after diet. Histological disease activity (peak eosinophil count/HPF), and endoscopic signs were scored by physicians. Symptoms and adherence to the diet were evaluated by questionnaires. Serum total IgE levels and total eosinophil counts were determined and the expression of inflammatory cytokines was analysed by qPCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 17 (81%) of the patients completed the diet, of whom 12 (71%) showed complete histological response (≤15 eosinophils/HPF) and 4 (24%) showed partial histological response (≥50% reduction of baseline eosinophil count). Peak eosinophil counts decreased significantly after the diet from 40 to 9 per HPF (P ≤ 0.001). A marked improvement in endoscopic signs was observed. Symptoms decreased significantly in all subjects, and 15 patients (88%) became completely asymptomatic (P ≤ 0.001). In 14 patients (82%), blood eosinophil count and serum IgE decreased (P ≤ 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elemental diet reduces eosinophilic inflammation and induces clinical remission in adult patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.|Tytgat Institute for Liver and GI Research, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: M J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7366-425X
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Warners
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Vlieg-Boerstra
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verheij
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: van Rhijn
authors.affiliation: Nutricia Research, Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: M T J
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Van Ampting
authors.affiliation: Nutricia Research, Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Harthoorn
authors.affiliation: Tytgat Institute for Liver and GI Research, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: de Jonge
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: A J P M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Smout
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bredenoord
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000639:trends; D057765:Eosinophilic Esophagitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators