Successful Treatment of Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis with Clarithromycin.
10.3904/kjim.2012.27.4.451
- Author:
Masashi OHE
1
;
Satoshi HASHINO
Author Information
1. Department of General Medicine, Hokkaido Social Insurance Hospital, Sapporo, Japan. masshi@isis.ocn.ne.jp
- Publication Type:Case Reports
- Keywords:
Macrolides;
Clarithromycin;
Eosinophilic enteropathy
- MeSH:
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use;
Clarithromycin/*therapeutic use;
Enteritis/*drug therapy/immunology/pathology;
Eosinophilia/*drug therapy/immunology/pathology;
Gastritis/*drug therapy/immunology/pathology;
Humans;
Immunologic Factors/therapeutic use;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Prednisolone/administration & dosage
- From:The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine
2012;27(4):451-454
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is an uncommon disease characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract, which is usually associated with abdominal pain, diarrhea, ascites, and peripheral eosinophilia. Steroids remain the mainstay of treatment for EGE, but symptoms often recur when the dose is reduced. Macrolides have immunomodulatory effects as well as antibacterial effects. The immunomodulatory effect results in inhibition of T-lymphocyte proliferation and triggering of T-lymphocyte and eosinophil apoptosis. Macrolides also have a steroid-sparing effect through their influence on steroid metabolism. We report a rare case of EGE, which relapsed on steroid reduction but improved following clarithromycin treatment.
