Achalasia is Strongly Associated With Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Other Allergic Disorders.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

Achalasia has been assumed to be an autoimmune disease targeting esophageal myenteric neurons. Recently, we proposed an alternative hypothesis that achalasia sometimes might be allergy-driven, caused by a form of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in which activated eosinophils and/or mast cells infiltrating esophageal muscle release products that disrupt motility and damage myenteric neurons. To seek epidemiologic support for this hypothesis, we identified patients with achalasia in the Utah Population Database, and explored their frequency of having EoE and other allergic disorders.

Methods

We used International Classification of Diseases codes to identify patients with achalasia and allergic disorders including EoE, asthma, atopic dermatitis, contact dermati

SUBMITTER: Reddy CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10753026 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature