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Real Talk: Eosinophilic Diseases

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by American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders

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Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that play a role in immune responses and help fight off infections. When these cells build up and cause inflammation in the digestive system, tissues, organs, and/or bloodstream, without a known cause, it may be the result of an eosinophil-associated disease. Join the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) for a series of conversations with researchers, clinicians, patients, and other community members as we discuss practical strategies for disease management and treatments, research, and other topics of interest.

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Recent Episodes

June 30, 2026

Community Conversation: EoE + Elimination Diet as a Young Adult

Ryan Piansky, a patient advocate living with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and eosinophilic asthma, interviews Maddie, a young adult living with EoE, about her journey with EoE and navigating an elimination diet. Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is designed to support, not replace, the relationship between listeners and their healthcare providers. Opinions, information, and recommendations shared in this podcast are not a substitute for medical advice. Decisions related to medical care should be made with your healthcare provider. Opinions and views of guests and co-hosts are their own. Key Takeaways: [:51] Host Ryan Piansky introduces this episode, brought to you thanks to the support of Education Partners GSK, Sanofi, Regeneron, and Takeda. [1:07] Ryan introduces today's topic, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). EoE is a chronic, allergic, inflammatory disease of the esophagus. It occurs when eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, accumulate in the esophagus in elevated numbers, causing inflammation that can make eating or swallowing difficult or uncomfortable. [1:25] Ryan introduces and welcomes today's guest, Maddie, also known as Eosinophilic Chick on Instagram. She's a patient advocate living with EoE. [1:38] Maddie was diagnosed with EoE in 2021. She has been symptomatic for 10 to 12 years, but was not familiar with the condition itself until then. In her childhood, she was afraid of the upper endoscopy procedure, so she avoided it as much as she could. [2:06] Besides the patient advocacy that she does, Maddie is an actuary. Throughout the week, she dedicates time to the healthcare industry space in the Philadelphia area. Maddie is 26, navigating her 20s with EoE. [2:24] Ryan says he feels like being diagnosed as a young adult can be a very big shift. You're going through a lot of other changes: graduating from college, having to figure out work, and having to start managing a chronic illness like EoE. [2:46] When Maddie was 12 years old, she would have a blockage in her throat. Typically, she walked away from the dinner table and had to regurgitate the food she had consumed. [3:02] Since heading into college and becoming aware, with the pandemic, of the symptoms of COVID, shortness of breath is one that she leaned into. When she was 21, she felt like she couldn't breathe. It turned out that she was choking on food. [3:18] There was an impaction, which Maddie obsessed about over time. In addition, around the time she was 21, her symptoms got the best of her. She wasn't able to keep up with thriving, day to day. [3:31] As a child, some of her symptoms weren't normal, but they were manageable to adapt to: throwing up after a meal, here and there. Her symptoms started to pick up, and she started to lose a lot of weight in her 20s. That's when she sought a diagnosis. [4:18] Maddie thought it was related to her lung function. She started to lean toward getting diagnosed with asthma, but after testing, that wasn't clear. Her gynecologist thought it was more of a hormonal conflict. They did a lot of labs but got no diagnosis. [4:45] Meanwhile, Maddie was getting sick. As a last resort, she headed over to gastro. They didn't find anything initially. They did a barium swallow test, another lung function test, and finally, an upper endoscopy. [5:04] Maddie had spent most of the summer before her senior year of college just trying to figure out what was going on, doing a multitude of tests, and that upper endoscopy with a biopsy captured the EoE. [5:17] Maddie was able to get support from a specialist who dedicates all of their day-to-day work to EoE treatments. [5:25] Ryan says it can be tricky to figure out right away what's going on; there are so many other conditions that could be the answer. Until you get to that final diagnosis, it can be a very long process. He's glad she got an answer, eventually. [5:53] Maddie says, given the timeline of her life, a lot of people were anxious and worried about her future. [6:08] Once she was able to get that answer, Maddie noticed a lot of relief from a ton of her symptoms, once she was able to get to work on it. Maddie also had an ulcer from frequent vomiting. [6:25] Maddie had to slow everything down and be very intentional about the things she ate. [6:51] Maddie lost 15 pounds that summer, as she was trying to gain weight. Whatever she ate, she still lost weight. She was worrying about that rather than about graduating that year. [7:08] Maddie wanted to know how to register as a disabled student at her university to make sure she got all the resources she needed to be successful. [7:18] Maddie was rewiring the things she once was worried about, relative now, to what this condition has packaged with it. It was a difficult time. It taught her a lot about discipline, making sure that hard things don't turn her away from achieving the goal. [7:46] It taught Maddie about being intentional with her time and energy, what's best for her, what's going to make her succeed with whatever goal she's achieving. [8:07] Ryan says now that Maddie is properly diagnosed, he hopes she's a little bit more in control of her health. Maddie says, "Answers are the biggest power with this condition." [8:30] Maddie says that before her condition was managed, she went to the ER three times. The first time she was hospitalized, she could not keep down food for two days, so she had to get IV treatment. It wasn't necessarily an impaction, but she wasn't able to eat. [9:04] The second and third times Maddie went to the ER were related to throwing up again. [9:26] Maddie's goal was to stop vomiting altogether. She started to get serious with diet therapy, leaning into her six-food elimination diet. [9:39] Maddie started the diet the week after she graduated, just to be home and have a lot of variables controlled to try the diet, rather than cutting corners. It was really simple to do at home. [10:04] Maddie first tried cutting dairy, eggs, and shellfish. Her sister is allergic to those foods and is anaphylactic; Maddie is not. That elimination diet was helpful, but it didn't check all the boxes where all her symptoms were free. [1024] Maddie tried swallowing medication from an inhaler instead of inhaling it into her lungs, trying to coat her esophagus with it. It was effective in the biopsy results, but she was still getting sick, so she did not feel comfortable proceeding with that treatment. [10:42] All roads led to the six-food elimination diet that could reveal what the culprits were and what was causing her to be so sick. The results were surprising. [11:06] Soy was a big trigger that surprised Maddie. She consumed so many soy products. That was quite humbling to hear. That was one of her biggest triggers. [11:34] Maddie completed the six-food elimination diet with triggers of soy, eggs, dairy, nuts, and shellfish. Because of all those groups, it was really difficult for her to manage her diet effectively when going out to eat. [11:52] Sometimes soybean oil is in a salad dressing or how foods are fried, to a point where Maddie wasn't able to maintain her EoE count below 15 eosinophils per high-powered field. [12:08] With that, she started with a biologic, dupilumab. That enables her to eat all her trigger foods. An injectable is tough for Maddie as she's not fond of needles. [12:36] Now Maddie can eat all of the food groups, which is definitely a huge win in terms of her treatment plan. It lessens the impact of living every day with EoE. [12:53] Ryan says he is on dupilumab, as well. It works well for him. Maddie says she is not avoiding any food triggers, and that's the best part. [13:24] Ryan says it takes a huge mental load off when you're not having to think about whether there may be soy in what you order from a restaurant, or having to check all the ingredients at the store to make sure that you're not accidentally being exposed. [13:53] Maddie says, the best advice I would give [to someone on an elimination diet] is focusing on the perimeter of the grocery store. A lot of those foods are dedicated to being whole foods. So, I found that approach to be the most successful. [14:12] Maddie says, and still finding things that you love and can find new things to enjoy. You're entitled to absolutely enjoy food. It brings a lot of joy into my life. [14:23] Maddie says, I would specifically love traveling to a bunch of different grocery stores and exploring the allergy aisle. Everyone had their unique niche for it. So, you'll definitely find ones that are more favorable to your preferences than others. [14:37] Maddie says, but find things, too, that you still enjoy beyond just feeling fully nutritious, and strong, and equipped. You're entitled to indulge, too, even with all the restrictions that you have. [15:00] Ryan agrees there are a lot of options out there. Exploring and finding something can be really impactful from a quality-of-life perspective, just to have something new. Sticking to the border of the grocery store is a good way of putting it. [15:13] Ryan says it's everything in those center aisles that gets so complicated. There are always some good, whole food options on the edges, which is nice. [15:23] Maddie says read every food label, even if you think that you know what's in the food products. A brand of hummus had soybean oil in it. I had to retest, and it added six additional weeks onto my game plan because of that silly mistake. [15:40] Read everything, even if you think you know it. Odds are, you don't. Don't trust any label until you've fully read it and are confident. [15:56] Ryan says one of his trigger foods is rice and it does pop up in weird places. Once he was eating potato chips, but then he looked at the ingredients. Rice flour was the second ingredient! [16:33] If you're not paying attention, it can catch you by surprise. Definitely read labels. It's time-consuming, but it's always a good idea. [16:42] Ryan asks what other treatment options Maddie tried besides a swallowed inhaled steroid. When she had GI symptoms, she immediately tried a PPI, but was still symptomatic. [17:47] Maddie says, facing the hard things, getting in front of a problem, and actually attacking it with the solution, is something she consistently dismissed in her teenage years. It took a lot of effort to find the perfect solution that fit. [18:06] Maddie says, she'll continue to make sure that this is the best solution for her, as her lifestyle and needs change over time. [18:14] Maddie says, attacking things that might seem intimidating, like 360-plus days of dieting, and not going out to eat, something that was really isolating for her; it just proved so much value in her journey. [18:29] Maddie says, she is now equipped with that knowledge to make additional decisions as more treatments hopefully come out for EoE. You never know if there are more resources in the pipeline. [18:48] Maddie says, with this knowledge that I've had, I think it's equipped me to face anything new, and/or ensure that my disease is managed, ultimately. [18:57] Ryan says, there's a ton of ongoing research and all sorts of new treatments coming out. Ten years ago, he could not have imagined a treatment option like dupilumab. [19:08] Ryan says, now that we have that, and it's proving so effective for so many people, he thinks that's so exciting and so wonderful. The fact that there are more treatment options like that coming out is so exciting. [19:27] Maddie says she thinks accepting the illness, and accepting that she's not normal, and the way she lives comes with complexities, relative to her peers. It's frustrating. [19:40] Maddie says she would love to just not take my dupilumab dose and eat whatever she wants, and not have an annual visit, not do upper endoscopies, and put all this effort, money, and mind all towards this illness. [19:56] Maddie says accepting that she is unique and this illness will always be a part of her. Coming to terms with that is something she continues to struggle with, just recognizing her peers are not going through the same thing. [20:12] Maddie says her peers are supportive, but she wonders why she is different and how she got there. She's still working through that. [30:21] Ryan talks about all the small details a person living with EoE has to think about when traveling or going out for food after work. It's an extra level of anxiety that other people don't have to worry about. [20:54] Maddie has suggestions for people living with EoE: Inform your peers about your condition. Share your knowledge with your community. With their understanding, they can empower you in social situations, rather than isolate you. [21:14] When Maddie was dieting, her closest friend's family made sure she had something to eat rather than asking why she wasn't eating. Once she had to tell friends at a dinner that she wasn't eating, she was there to socialize. [21:55] The more you work towards your acceptance, the more you inform your community, the more you inform yourself, those situations will come a lot lighter. There's always going to be a new scenario where you have to explain your condition. [22:15] Maddie says, If you can get everybody to pronounce eosinophilic esophagitis, that's a huge win itself. I typically stop at EoE. [22:32] Ryan talks about anxiety about not eating at dinner. Everybody's just happy you show up and are willing to socialize. Advocating for yourself is such a good lesson to take away from this. [23:10] Ryan talks about Maddie's patient advocacy work. He follows her on Instagram. She puts so much great information out there. She also works in a professional career. [23:30] Maddie talks about balancing her activities and illness. She aligns her content with her passion, so it's a hobby she enjoys. She hopes others find value in it. Outside of work, Maddie likes to advocate for EoE. It's busy, but she's super passionate about it. [24:08] Ryan engages and advocates mostly through APFED, because they provide a lot of wonderful support. He's glad that Maddie uses her experiences to advocate through Instagram and her day-to-day life. [24:33] Ryan says it's such a great way to approach living with a chronic illness. [24:40] Maddie's initial goal was to create content so she could explore her growth in her journey. It was a diary about all the things she had done with EoE. [24:58] Maddie mentions milestones in the community: dupilumab having FDA approval during that timeline, it was exciting to witness with her community. [25:12] When Maddie was diagnosed, she found information online. The social media community is very powerful in making it real. Maddie loves APFED's content and the comments of folks impacted by the disease. It adds organic, natural reality. [25:37] Maddie says she loves sharing her story, and she will continue to share it. This isn't ending yet. It's chronic, so EoE will be with her for quite some time. Hopefully, they'll find a cure, but in the meantime, it's not going anywhere. [25:59] Maddie started her account when she got diagnosed in the Fall of 2021. She focused on alternative foods in the grocery store and dairy-free and egg-free cooking. [26:18] When she transitioned to the six-food elimination diet, she focused on recipe creation and innovation. She tried to make a deep-dish Chicago-style pizza that was gluten-free. It was a huge mess! She gives respect to the gluten-free community. [26:46] Ryan describes a poor experience with a chicken-crust gluten-free pizza. [27:31] Maddie pushes for awareness because there are more people than you think in your community who have undiagnosed EoE. Some are quiet warriors with the condition, working behind the scenes, managing it, not sharing with their community. [27:54] Between 2021 and now, Maddie has crossed paths with a lot of individuals, even down to childhood neighbors, who have the condition. It's humbling to know that other individuals are going through the same thing, quietly. [28:13] Maddie says, being able to connect and unify that community is something she wishes she could promise her 2021 self: There's a community out there waiting for you with open arms that will support you through this journey. [28:30] There are a lot of great people in this space who are unfortunately impacted by this disease. Knowing the community is there is something I would tell myself. [29:02] Ryan invites Maddie to share a message of encouragement for people living with eosinophilic-associated diseases. [29:08] Maddie would say, failure is not always a failure. In this case, it took her four forms of therapy treatments until she found the perfect one for her. Try to keep your mind open on the pathways of managing your symptoms. [29:30] It may cause you to run into a couple of failures, which is so frustrating. She has been in tears before about this, but sometimes failure brings you one step closer to success, or in this case, relief in managing your symptoms. [31:04] Maddie and Ryan discuss the string test, relating to upper endoscopies, and the benefits of a shorter test without anesthesia. Maddie is excited by the things in the pipeline for potential treatments or maintenance options. [32:06] Ryan has talked to people who have had the string test, and it sounds like a much better experience until they have to pull it back up, and then it sounds like maybe you wish you were asleep for that part. Overall, it sounds so much more pleasant. [32:21] Ryan and Maddie discuss trans-nasal endoscopies, with a thinner tube and no anesthesia. It's on Ryan's radar. Endoscopies are not fun. [34:37] Maddie is excited that there are commercials starting with EoE, talking about the condition on television. [35:21] Ryan says, it is exciting that there's so much more understanding about this disorder. There is more public awareness now. Maybe 10 years ago, you never would have known that your neighbor also has EoE. [35:34] Now people can get these diagnoses, understand what's going on, and talk about it more openly, which is really exciting. [35:45] Maddie says APFED had a great campaign in May, promoting EoE awareness. The more we do that, the more everybody impacted by this disease will win, for sure. [36:01] Ryan thanks Maddie for her work promoting EoE awareness. It's great to have people out there pushing advocacy and getting information out there. Ryan thanks Maddie for joining us today for this great conversation. [35:22] For our listeners who would like to learn more about eosinophilic disorders, please visit <a href= "http://apfed.org">apfed.org</a> and check out the links in the show notes. [36:28] If you're looking to find specialists who treat eosinophilic disorders, we encourage you to use APFED's Specialist Finder, available at <a href= "http://apfed.org/specialist">apfed.org/specialist</a>. [36:37] If you have personally been impacted by eosinophilic disorders and are interested in sharing your experiences, please check out <a href= "http://apfed.org/shareyourstory">apfed.org/shareyourstory</a>. [36:45] If you'd like to connect with others impacted by eosinophilic diseases, please join APFED's online community on the Inspire Network at <a href= "http://apfed.org/Connections">apfed.org/connections</a>. [36:56] Ryan thanks Maddie. Ryan thanks APFED's Education Partners <a href="http://www.gsk.com/">GSK,</a> <a href= "https://www.sanofi.com/">Sanofi</a>, <a href= "https://www.regeneron.com/">Regeneron</a>, and <a href= "https://www.takeda.com/">Takeda</a> for supporting this episode. Mentioned in This Episode: APFED on <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/user/APFED">YouTube</a>, <a href= "https://twitter.com/APFEDorg">Twitter</a>, <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/APFED">Facebook</a>, <a href= "https://www.pinterest.com.mx/apfed/_created/">Pinterest</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/apfedorg/">Instagram</a> <a href="https://apfed.org/podcast/">Real Talk: Eosinophilic Diseases Podcast</a> <a href= "http://apfed.org/EoE">apfed.org </a><a href= "https://enterotrack.com/">Esophageal string test</a> (early research was supported by an <a href= "https://apfed.org/research/funded-researchgrant-recipients/">APFED grant</a>) <a href= "https://apfed.org/specialist">apfed.org/specialist</a> <a href= "https://apfed.org/connections">apfed.org/connections</a> <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/eosinophilic.chick/">Eosinophilic.Chick — Maddie on Instagram </a> Education Partners: This episode of APFED's podcast is brought to you thanks to the support of <a href= "http://www.gsk.com/">GSK,</a> <a href= "https://www.sanofi.com/">Sanofi</a>, <a href= "https://www.regeneron.com/">Regeneron</a>, and <a href= "https://www.takeda.com/">Takeda</a>. Tweetables (Edited): "I have officially been diagnosed with EoE since 2021. So, coming up on fiveish years now with the condition, knowing that I have it. I've been symptomatic for over 10 to 12 years, call it, just not really familiar with the condition itself." — Maddie "My symptoms started to pick up, and I started to lose a lot of weight in my 20s. That's really when I started to get a lot of attention towards my diagnosis." — Maddie "I first tried cutting dairy, eggs, and shellfish. My sister has an allergy to those foods and is anaphylactic; I am not. That diet was good, but it didn't check all the boxes where all my symptoms were free." — Maddie "I completed the six-food elimination diet with triggers of soy, eggs, dairy, nuts, and shellfish. Because of all those groups, it was really difficult for me to manage my diet effectively when going out to eat." — Maddie "I started my [Instagram] account when I got diagnosed in the Fall of 2021. I focused on alternative foods in the grocery store and dairy-free and egg-free cooking. … When I transitioned to the six-food elimination diet, I focused on recipe creation and innovation." — Maddie Guest Bio: Maddie is the creator behind Eosinophilic Chick, a platform dedicated to raising awareness about eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), food allergies, and life with chronic illness. Diagnosed with EoE as a young adult, Maddie shares her experiences navigating elimination diets, medical treatments, endoscopies, and the emotional impact of living with a chronic condition. Through honest storytelling, practical tips, recipes, and advocacy, she aims to help others feel less alone.

May 21, 2026

Community Conversation: EoE

Co-hosts Ryan Piansky, a graduate student and patient advocate living with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and eosinophilic asthma, and Holly Knotowicz, a speech-language pathologist living with EoE who serves on APFED's Health Science Advisory Council, interview Phillip Arceneaux, PhD, on his journey with EoE and balancing his career. Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is designed to support, not replace, the relationship between listeners and their healthcare providers. Opinions, information, and recommendations shared in this podcast are not a substitute for medical advice. Decisions related to medical care should be made with your healthcare provider. Opinions and views of guests and co-hosts are their own. Key Takeaways: [:50] Co-host Ryan Piansky introduces this episode, brought to you thanks to the support of Education Partners GSK, Sanofi, Regeneron, and Takeda. Ryan introduces co-host Holly Knotowicz. [1:12] Holly introduces today's topic. It's May, and each year in May, there are several awareness observances for eosinophilic-associated diseases, including National Eosinophil Awareness Week, World Eosinophilic Diseases Day, and World EoE Day. [1:29] Throughout May, APFED is sharing stories from individuals and families living with eosinophil-associated diseases to highlight the impact of these chronic conditions. [1:38] Ryan says, Today, we'll be discussing eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). EoE is a chronic allergic inflammatory disease of the esophagus. It occurs when eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, accumulate in the esophagus in elevated numbers, causing inflammation that can make eating or swallowing difficult or uncomfortable. [1:56] Holly introduces today's guest, Dr. Phillip Arceneaux, a patient advocate living with EoE since 2019. [2:18] Phil is 35. He was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana. He received his undergraduate degree there. He worked at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Then he worked at the University of Oregon. [2:38] Phil moved to Florida and did his Ph.D. in Mass Communication at the University of Florida. Since 2020, he has been based out of the Cincinnati area, working at Miami University of Ohio. [3:05] Phil was diagnosed with EoE in March of 2019, while finishing his degree at UF. [3:12] Phil was eating dinner with his girlfriend. He took a bite of a roast beef sandwich, and it didn't go down smoothly, it became impacted. [3:56] Phil thought he had food stuck in his windpipe. He was running around banging his chest. He calmed down and was able to get some of the food out, and he was breathing again. [4:12] Phil thought he was fine. He quickly realized he wasn't. He still had a partial impaction. He didn't know what was going on in his chest. He spent about 30 minutes moving around, coughing, and trying to get his chest to feel right. [4:44] After about an hour, Phil decided to go to the ER. His girlfriend insisted on driving him to the hospital. It was spring break, so the ER was not busy. It still took a couple of hours to be seen and treated. [5:25] The doctors assessed him. They gave him medicine to induce vomiting. About 12 hours after the initial choking, his impaction cleared. They kept him overnight and gave him an endoscopy in the morning to check his esophagus and take biopsies. [6:31] Phil was in the ER for four to six hours before anyone told him what they thought he had. Then the ER doctor told him he was 95% certain Phil had eosinophilic esophagitis. Phil had never heard of it. [7:04] The ER doctor gave Phil a rundown of EoE. He said Phil would have an endoscopy, and then he would be referred to a GI and set up for treatment. The doctor said he couldn't confirm it before the endoscopy, but he thought it was EoE. [7:31] Ryan says he's talked to people who have had months-long processes of getting their diagnosis. Phil gives all the credit to the hospital. He was fortunate that his experience was good. [7:55] Phil says that the staff at the ER and the GI specialist were so knowledgeable about the research and where things were going in this area of medicine. They were very confident about the diagnosis and treatment plan. [8:11] Dr. Arcenaux gives a shout-out to his GI. He spent well over an hour with him during his initial consult. He explained how EoE would impact him, from diet, grocery shopping, and challenges eating at restaurants, because of cross-contamination. [8:42] The GI specialist talked him through impacts on dating and dining out and how to approach social activities. [9:09] Phil's GI specialist talked to him about employers. He would need employers with health insurance that will cover the endoscopies and treatments for EoE. Phil appreciated the initial onboarding for his EoE diagnosis. [9:41] Ryan says he needs to discuss this with Phil, as he just finished his Ph.D. a few months ago, and he's looking at insurance for his new job, and how to figure out business lunches. [9:51] Ryan says Ph.D. students are so motivated by free food. As someone with EoE, that never applied to him. Ryan says shifting from normal eating habits to an EoE diet is a major shift. [10:27] Phil knows now that there were signs and symptoms, but he had no idea about them before his diagnosis. [10:33] Phil is on a special diet for his EoE. When he's not great at avoiding his trigger foods, he starts to see dysphagia symptoms in his swallowing, and he has quite a bit of regurgitation. He had been seeing that for months before this initial major food impaction and ER visit. [10:54] Phil had no idea what was going on. He just thought it was weird that he was regurgitating more than he used to. Sometimes food didn't go down well. Once or twice, he had a small aspiration event. He thought he needed to chew better. [11:11] He didn't know what those symptoms meant, and he wrote them off. None of it made sense until that diagnosis. Even then, it took a while to wrap his head around it. Years removed, he sees there were so many signs and symptoms he never processed. [11:28] Holly asks what Phil means by aspiration. He says he means water going down his windpipe, making it hard to breathe, with liquid in his lungs. Holly says that aspiration can be caused by inflammation in people who have EoE. [12:07] Holly says people with EoE can be sent for a swallow study to look at the anatomy of their swallow function. That's a subject for another episode! [12:35] Ryan says Phil noticed he was regurgitating more than normal and remarks that people with chronic illnesses don't realize that most people don't normally regurgitate at all. It's a sign that something's wrong. [13:03] The ER doctor didn't offer Phil any other diagnosis than EoE. The doctor was 95% sure he had EoE, but confirmed it with an endoscopy. [13:20] Holly asks Phil what food allergies he has. As an infant, he had an egg allergy that limited his vaccines. Now he knows his primary allergen is egg, and it led to his EoE issues. [13:51] When Phil started his Ph.D. program, he wanted to eat healthier foods. He cut out fast food, and he ate more eggs. He consumed many eggs during his Ph.D. program. A snack was scrambled eggs or something with scrambled eggs. [14:22] Phil went through a carton of 18 eggs in less than a week. He knew that when he was younger, he'd had egg sensitivity, but as an adult, he'd eaten eggs and nothing happened that registered as an issue. He thought he had outgrown it. [14:40] Phil says he had outgrown other food allergies. He assumed eggs were fine, so he adopted a heavy egg diet to increase his protein intake and be healthier. Then all these symptoms manifested. [15:00] Phil never associated the symptoms with eggs. His treatment plan is dieting and minimizing egg as much as possible. That is not easy in the United States, where everything is processed and often contains egg. [15:19] Holly says she has seen an influx of adult-onset EoE patients with a history of a dairy or egg allergy who were putting cottage cheese and eggs in everything, and all of a sudden, started having regurgitation and food getting stuck. [15:51] Phil doesn't eat scrambled eggs anymore. One slice of a cake with eggs in it will not send him to the ER. It takes a couple of days of high exposure to reach that point. He knows what he can have daily that will not impact him in the long term. [16:20] Holly and Ryan agree that it's important to know your limits, and consult with your physicians about foods. Rice is a trigger for Ryan, but if brown rice syrup is about the 20th ingredient, he can have it and be fine. If he were to eat a lot of rice, he will have issues. [17:21] Phil says he recently got married, and his wife is a health nut. She has radically changed his diet. They eat very high-protein, low-fat, and low-carb. It's been easy to manage that without eggs. They eat a lot of chicken, turkey, and fish. [17:41] Being from Louisiana, Phil says if he had to give up seafood, he doesn't know what he would do. He's a huge craft beer lover. If he had to give up gluten, he doesn't know what he would do. He can manage without eggs. [18:21] Ryan says dairy was a big trigger for him when he was younger, but now he's on dupilumab, a biologic approved for treating EoE, and that's helped him a lot. He's started to integrate whey protein and milk protein back into his diet. [18:47] Phil says once he finished with school, he graduated and lost health insurance. He didn't have a source of income or health insurance, so he declined to have dilation therapy. That's also why he deferred to dietary therapy. He removed his allergens one by one. [19:12] Phil was diagnosed in 2019, not long before the pandemic hit. He lived in a bubble for two to three years and kept to a very regimented diet. That's where he started to find his balance. [19:30] Phil travels quite a bit as a professor. He goes to international conferences. In 2022, a big annual conference opened in Paris, France. He was living his best life, but didn't register that every pastry he put in his mouth had an egg wash. [20:14] Phil was there for seven days. On the sixth night, he was eating a tough, dry steak. He had a severe food impaction, worse than the one in 2019. He was with colleagues who didn't know what he had. [20:40] He paid, excused himself, went to his hotel room, and tried to vomit it up. He couldn't do it. He called an Uber and went to the nearest ER. He had an emergency endoscopy. It's not easy to navigate another country's healthcare system, but he did it. [21:14] When Phil returned from the conference, he said he needed to get serious. He had a GP, but he needed a GI specialist. Cincinnati has multiple great health systems, so he got a GI specialist and started down a path of treatment. [21:38] He told his GI specialist, this has happened to me, and I never want it to happen again. What can we do? He started with proton pump inhibitors. No effect. He doesn't have acid reflux. Next was the topical corticosteroid, swallowed budesonide. [22:22] Phil used a pump for asthma, but this was to swallow. After two weeks, he developed a bad case of thrush that took a long time to get rid of. He had never had thrush and didn't know what it was. It took a couple of rounds of treatment to clear up. [22:43] After that, in 2022, he moved to dupilumab. The FDA had just approved it as a course of treatment for EoE. Phil did not do well with the treatment, and has since gone back to back to a diet-only course of treatment. [24:13] Phil says the dupilumab shots did help. He had been having reactions to some foods for years, and after a couple of weeks on the shot, those reactions went away, and he could eat the foods, like avocado and watermelon, again. [24:39] The dupilumab did him some good, as he returned to some foods that he loved, but it wasn't a long-term solution for him. [24:50] Ryan shares that he started his Ph.D. in 2019. He felt great, he had no symptoms, and he was following up with his GI every year. With no symptoms, he wasn't scoped until 2025 for insurance reasons. His scope was horrible. [25:11] His symptoms were in remission, but his esophagus looked terrible. He had to switch up his treatment plan. Ryan advises all listeners to follow up with their GI. [26:14] Phil says he thinks he's in a very lucky position that what his allergen is, what his dietary preferences are, and how he manifests symptoms, do not significantly impact his day-to-day. [26:36] Phil's doctor in 2019 had advised him that EoE would impact his work and his business lunches. With the treatment plan he has opted into, it doesn't impact his day-to-day. He says he is very lucky, compared to what other patients deal with. [26:50] It hasn't impacted his day-to-day, but the problem is, when it does impact something. It's very big, very noticeable, and it's in front of everyone. He recalls his Paris episode. He's very vocal about it. That's why he reached out to APFED. [27:13] Phil likes talking about it. The only way we know more about it is when we talk about it and share our stories. His colleagues all know he has EoE. They don't understand exactly what it is, but when he's having trouble, they understand. [27:44] When Phil has an issue, he doesn't tell anyone; he just gets up and walks out of the room and paces the hall, doing his stretches. [28:09] Largely, it's just letting people know he has EoE. They recognize that he manages it himself, and he's OK. [28:24] Phil says figuring out your medical treatment plan and balancing your quality of life is different from having a disease that can eventually be treated. [28:51] This is something you have to deal with the rest of your life. That's going to fundamentally change things, not drastically, but in fairly subtle ways. [29:18] No matter how comfortable you get, you have to be diligent. You always have to be cognizant of your symptoms and stay on whatever your treatment plan is, whether that's dieting or medication. This will not go away. You're always going to have it. [29:37] Phil says you have to frame it as a lifelong marathon and find a very sustainable pace. That's where the quality of life is so important. We're human beings. We have to enjoy life. Settle in for the long haul. That's how it will be sustainable. [30:18] Ryan thinks self-advocacy is important, whether talking with doctors, co-workers, or friends. Take care of yourself and make sure you're doing OK. Make sure you're putting yourself in a position to stay healthy, especially while balancing a career. [30:45] Ryan says those are great things for our listeners to keep in mind. [30:49] For our listeners who do want to learn more about eosinophilic disorders, we encourage you to visit <a href= "http://apfed.org">APFED.org</a> and check out the links in the show notes below. [30:55] If you're looking to find a specialist who treats eosinophilic disorders, we encourage you to use APFED's Specialist Finder. available at <a href= "http://apfed.org/specialist">APFED.org/specialist</a>. [31:04] If you have personally been impacted by eosinophilic disorders and are interested in sharing your experience, please check out <a href= "http://apfed.org/shareyourstory">APFED.org/shareyourstory</a>. [31:12] If you'd like to connect with others impacted by eosinophilic diseases, please join APFED's online community on the Inspire Network at <a href= "http://apfed.org/Connections">APFED.org/connections</a>. [31:23] Ryan thanks Phil for joining us today. This was a super interesting conversation. Phil thanks Ryan and Holly for having him on. He is happy to represent on the podcast. [31:35] Holly thanks APFED's Education Partners <a href="http://www.gsk.com/">GSK,</a> <a href= "https://www.sanofi.com/">Sanofi</a>, <a href= "https://www.regeneron.com/">Regeneron</a>, and <a href= "https://www.takeda.com/">Takeda</a> for supporting this episode. Mentioned in This Episode: APFED on <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/user/APFED">YouTube</a>, <a href= "https://twitter.com/APFEDorg">Twitter</a>, <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/APFED">Facebook</a>, <a href= "https://www.pinterest.com.mx/apfed/_created/">Pinterest</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/apfedorg/">Instagram</a> <a href="https://apfed.org/podcast/">Real Talk: Eosinophilic Diseases Podcast</a> <a href="http://apfed.org/EoE">Apfed.org</a> <a href= "https://apfed.org/specialist">apfed.org/specialist</a> <a href= "https://apfed.org/connections">apfed.org/connections</a> <a href= "https://miamioh.edu/profiles/cas/phillip-arceneaux.html">Phillip Arceneaux, PhD </a> Education Partners: This episode of APFED's podcast is brought to you thanks to the support of <a href= "http://www.gsk.com/">GSK,</a> <a href= "https://www.sanofi.com/">Sanofi</a>, <a href= "https://www.regeneron.com/">Regeneron</a>, and <a href= "https://www.takeda.com/">Takeda</a>. Tweetables (Edited): "I took a bite of a roast beef sandwich, and it wasn't going down smoothly. I drank some water. The bite became an impaction. The water stayed in my esophagus, and I started to aspirate." — Phillip Arceneaux, Ph.D. "The ER doctor told me he was 95% certain I had eosinophilic esophagitis. I had never heard of it. He gave me a quick rundown of what it was." — Phillip Arceneaux, Ph.D. "I want to give a shout-out to my GI. He spent well over an hour in my initial consult. He explained how [EoE] would impact me, from diet, grocery shopping, and eating at restaurants, because of cross-contamination." — Phillip Arceneaux, Ph.D. "I never associated the symptoms with eggs. My treatment plan is diet and minimizing egg as much as possible. That is not easy in the United States." — Phillip Arceneaux, Ph.D. "This is something you have to deal with the rest of your life. That's going to fundamentally change things, not drastically, but in fairly subtle ways." — Phillip Arceneaux, Ph.D. "No matter how comfortable you get, you have to be diligent. You always have to be cognizant of your symptoms and stay on whatever your treatment plan is, whether that's dieting or medication. This will not go away. You're always going to have it." — Phillip Arceneaux, Ph.D. Guest Bio: Dr. Phillip Arceneaux is an Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication at Miami University in Ohio, where he teaches mass communication courses focusing on media psychology and content strategy. Phil was diagnosed with EoE in 2019 following an ER visit to UF Health Shands Hospital that required an emergency endoscopy. A Cajun French native of Lafayette, Louisiana, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Florida and has resided in Cincinnati since 2020.

May 14, 2026

Clinical Trials

Co-hosts Ryan Piansky, a graduate student and patient advocate living with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and eosinophilic asthma, and Holly Knotowicz, a speech-language pathologist living with EoE who serves on APFED's Health Science Advisory Council, interview Dr. Chukwuemeka Oko, MD, MBA, on clinical trials. Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is designed to support, not replace, the relationship between listeners and their healthcare providers. Opinions, information, and recommendations shared in this podcast are not a substitute for medical advice. Decisions related to medical care should be made with your healthcare provider. Opinions and views of guests and co-hosts are their own. Key Takeaways: [:49] Co-host Ryan Piansky introduces this episode, brought to you thanks to the support of Education Partners GSK, Sanofi, Regeneron, and Takeda. Ryan introduces co-host Holly Knotowicz. [1:13] Holly introduces today's topic — clinical trials — and today's guest, Dr. Chukwuemeka Oko, a Clinical Research and Medical Affairs Professional supporting Duke University Hospital's Department of Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology. [1:33] Dr. Oko explains that he is sharing general, educational information from his perspective and experience, not speaking on behalf of Duke University, nor any industry sponsor, nor any company he has worked for. [1:50] Dr. Oko's goal today is to help the listeners feel clearer, more confident, and more in control when they are thinking about clinical research. [2:29] Dr. Oko's work sits mainly at the intersection of clinical research and medical affairs. He helps translate evolving science into practical, patient-centered decisions. [2:40] From an academic standpoint, he supports clinical trials and evidence generation from feasibility through education. [2:49] Dr. Oko also engages investigators and thought leaders from industry sponsors in scientific exchanges that lead to insights, study design, and real-world care pathways. [3:03] Dr. Oko had two reasons to study eosinophilic esophagitis and eosinophilic disease. The first is the patient journey and biology. [3:11] On the patient side, many people spend a long time seeking answers. Sometimes they feel dismissed before they get a clear diagnosis and a plan that fits their life. [3:24] On the biology side, eosinophilic disease teaches us a lot about how our immune signals can drive information differently across tissues like the esophagus and airways. [3:40] Dr. Oko supported an EoE study experience with an industry sponsor in the past. The best research doesn't just test; it helps patients and clinicians make clearer decisions. [4:12] Dr. Oko explains that a clinical trial is a carefully designed, carefully crafted study in people that answers specific medical questions, most often about safety, effectiveness, or dosing of the study drug or how a treatment should be used. [4:32] A key structure of a study is a written protocol where safety monitoring is in place, and the defined outcome or results are very reliable. The FDA always oversees clinical trials in the U.S. [4:44] Dr. Oko often describes a trial as a highly-monitored learning system. It's how medicine moves from "We think this might help" to "We know what helps, for whom, and also at what risk." [5:09] Dr. Oko says clinical trials usually study what improves patient outcomes, for whom, and at what risk, using methods that we can trust. Trials may evaluate new medicines, devices, dosage strategies, or even procedures. [5:31] Clinical trials can also study non-drug approaches such as diet interventions, symptom tracking, monitoring tools, and education strategies. [5:44] Many trials have also included biomarkers, or signals in the blood or tissue, helping to support an EoE diagnosis so that the patients can get treated in an early and effective manner. [6:36] Dr. Oko says patients sometimes ask him if they are guinea pigs. In reality, trials are heavily regulated and closely monitored, with strict safety reporting requirements. Participants are not guinea pigs. [7:06] Dr. Oko also hears patients ask if they are "stuck" once they join the clinical trial. No, a trial is a completely voluntary participation, and they can withdraw at any time. [7:25] Other patients ask if trials are only for people who are out of options. Many trials are designed for earlier stages, especially when the goal is to prevent complications or reduce steroid exposure. [7:46] The last question Dr. Oko hears a lot is "Will I be in the placebo group?" He says it's an understandable fear. They are asking if they will go untreated in the placebo group. [8:29] In many trials, a placebo is not the same as "no care". Often, the participants continue the standard-of-care treatment, and the study drug or placebo is added to the standard-of-care treatment. [8:45] Trials typically involve symptom monitoring and a plan for what happens if the symptoms worsen. There are exit criteria. [9:01] From the pharmaceutical side, it's the end of treatment once you decide to voluntarily exit the study. [9:10] Dr. Oko's advice is, if you participate, ask the study team physicians to explain in plain language what you'll receive, what you can continue, and what happens if you flare up. Clear answers are always a part of ethical research. [10:33] Holly asks what it means to participate in a Phase 1, Phase 2, or Phase 3 trial. Dr. Oko says a Phase 1 trial is focused mostly on the safety and the dosing regimen. It's usually a small group of five to 100 or so. [10:52] A Phase 2 trial always looks for the drug's effectiveness and continues monitoring safety. It's usually a group of 100 to 300 subjects. They look for meaningful signals of the outcomes derived from the trial. [11:10] A Phase 3 trial is usually large. It's multi-centered. It's called a complementary study. It involves thousands of patients. It can even be across nations and states. [11:26] This is where they compare new interventions against a placebo or against a standard of treatment to provide clinical benefits and support for regulatory approval. [12:03] Participating in any phase of a trial includes fitting the eligibility criteria of inclusion for that particular phase. If you are a good match, you can be in either a Phase 1, Phase 2, or Phase 3 trial. [12:52] Holly says she knows that a lot of people with EoE or EGIDs are very curious about trials and how to participate in them. [13:00] Ryan says we have a very active patient community, and everyone's looking for ways to get involved in research and new diagnostics or medications to improve their own outcomes and help everyone else. [13:35] Dr. Oko says the benefits of participating in a clinical trial include access to potentially disease-modifying therapies years before they reach the market. [13:47] Another benefit is extraordinarily close medical monitoring. When you're in a clinical trial, you have more frequent visits and more frequent labs than usual. [14:01] Endoscopies are out of the normal standard of care, but will be more frequent than normal to analyze the efficacy of the study drug. [14:11] Dr. Oko says one of the risks is the unknown side effects the study drug comes with, because we are still understanding the biology. [14:21] The time commitment for visits can be more than typical for a patient, especially if there is a long travel time involved. Patients may arrive at 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. They may need to find a place to live nearby, depending on the pace of the trial. [14:57] Holly lives in Maine, and a lot of the trials are in Boston. It's a lot of travel. For people with any kind of chronic illness, all we think about is money. Holly asks if people pay to be part of a clinical trial. [15:25] Dr. Oko states that the patients do not have to pay anything to be part of a clinical trial. Patients do get compensated by the trial sponsor for travel, accommodation, parking, and a meal for the days they are onsite. [16:33] Dr. Oko says that patients tend to bring up insurance. It is a misconception that the study will pay for their standard-of-care medication during the study. Patients need to ask the study team what insurance will pay for and what the study will pay for. [16:59] Dr. Oko says the insurance usually covers the regular standard-of-treatment, but any other additional treatment, procedures, and visits are all covered by the study sponsor. [17:29] The study sponsor may ask for an endoscopy to be done six months before the study to determine eligibility for the study. If it is done within a year, the study sponsor will determine if you are qualified. That is part of the eligibility criteria in some cases. [18:26] Dr. Oko tells patients to always ask questions, like what the schedule of events is in the clinical trial. [18:35] The schedule of events tells you how many visits are required for you to be part of this study. They will list the activities to be done. They will list the labs you will need at what week. They will list when you need endoscopies, at week one and later. [19:05] If you exit from the study, if you don't want to participate anymore, you are still required to come on site just to make sure that you are in good shape. Those are called formal visits. [10:29] Dr. Oko explains that formal visits are necessary for the patient's safety and to make sure that the data points collected in the study will be effective. [20:01] Patients enrolling in a clinical trial can also ask about the known risks of the symptom monitoring plan. They can ask what is covered and what is not covered by insurance, and what will be considered out of pocket. [20:20] If patients are in the placebo group, what will happen if symptoms worsen? In the protocol, there is always a rescue plan. If a symptom flares up, the Principal Investigator carries out the rescue plan. [20:58] The study team is available on a 24/7 hotline. The questions you ask are very important. No question is too small to ask. Every question and every symptom you report is important. You can withdraw at any time, and there is always a follow-up. [22:19] Dr. Oko says the trial data that has already been collected from part of our eosinophilic studies has led to various FDA approvals of the biologics. We are working to try to transform EoE from a steroid-dependent or diet-only disease into a position of long-term control. [22:37] Trial findings have shaped care, expanding evidence-based options, clarifying which patients benefit the most, and improving how we measure our outcomes, the symptoms, and quality of life, as measured by patients' quality-of-life surveys. [23:06] Quality-of-life surveys are very important for the study team. They help to measure safety, too. The evidence generated from this data leads to insights and improves study design, protocol design, and ultimately, improves patient care. [23:40] Ryan says the community is interested in clinical trials because they benefit patients, researchers, and clinicians. We're thankful for the clinicians and researchers putting in all the work to make these clinical trials happen. [24:01] Ryan adds, we're also thankful for the patients who are interested in these trials. For patients who are looking to participate, how can they find clinical trials to participate in and join? [24:15] Dr. Oko says people can find the website ClinicalTrials.gov. It's an important tool in looking for various clinical research. Scientists are recruiting at a given time. You can use the Advanced Search option to narrow the search by state and criteria. [24:54] You can always discuss clinical trials with your primary care physicians. You can look for major academic medical centers. Most of them always have clinical research studies going on. [25:07] Dr. Oko says APFED.org is a very good tool. It always maintains up-to-date trial listings and patient-friendly summaries where patients can read about the studies. [25:30] Ryan says he's very appreciative of the mention of APFED. There is a link on <a href= "http://apfed.org">APFED.org</a> so people can find studies. There are clinical trials listed that people can research more and join. [25:46] Holly asks Dr. Oko to share advice for listeners who are considering participating in a clinical trial. He shares, "I want each one of you to approach the decision with the same care you would with any major medical choice. Review the Informed Consent Form (ICF)." [26:23] "The word informed means you should be informed. It's your right to get informed with every line, every detail. The Consent Form can be 30 pages long, but please just know that you are not in a rush to answer." [26:43] "You can take the Consent Form and discuss it with your friends, your family, your primary care physician, your gastroenterologist, and your allergist and get more information." [27:00] "When you join an interventional trial, or a registry, your contribution accelerates the science and benefits the entire eosinophilic community." [27:12] "From my years of reviewing medical charts and supporting new recruitments, I feel patients feel most satisfied when they are fully informed and genuinely partnered with the study team. That's how I partner with the patients. I am always there to help." [27:40] Ryan says that is great advice for patients, and hopefully, some of our listeners to this episode will go out there and look for clinical trials to participate in or ask their physicians, next time they're getting care. [27:52] For patients who would like to know more about eosinophilic disorders, we encourage you to visit <a href= "http://apfed.org">APFED.org</a> and check out the links in the show notes below, specifically to research opportunities listed on <a href="http://apfed.org">APFED.org</a>. [28:08] If you've been personally impacted by eosinophilic disorders and are interested in sharing your experiences, we encourage you to please check out <a href= "http://apfed.org/shareyourstory">APFED.org/shareyourstory</a>. [28:17] Ryan thanks Dr.Oko for joining us today. This was really helpful and insightful, and hopefully, we'll have many new patients interested in joining clinical trials. Dr. Oko thanks Ryan and Holly for having him on and thanks every listener who has joined us. [28:33] Dr. Oko says it has been a genuine pleasure and privilege for him. He has spent years seeing patients, reviewing their charts, and hearing their stories. We see you, we hear you. Science is advancing rapidly and shaping outcomes. You are not alone. [30:17] Holly thanks Dr. Oko for his research and clinical trials, and thanks APFED's Education Partners <a href= "http://www.gsk.com/">GSK,</a> <a href= "https://www.sanofi.com/">Sanofi</a>, <a href= "https://www.regeneron.com/">Regeneron</a>, and <a href= "https://www.takeda.com/">Takeda</a> for supporting this episode. Mentioned in This Episode: APFED on <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/user/APFED">YouTube</a>, <a href= "https://twitter.com/APFEDorg">Twitter</a>, <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/APFED">Facebook</a>, <a href= "https://www.pinterest.com.mx/apfed/_created/">Pinterest</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/apfedorg/">Instagram</a> <a href="https://apfed.org/podcast/">Real Talk: Eosinophilic Diseases Podcast</a> <a href="http://apfed.org/EoE">Apfed.org</a> <a href= "https://apfed.org/specialist">apfed.org/specialist</a> <a href= "https://apfed.org/connections">apfed.org/connections</a> <a href= "http://apfed.org/research/clinical-trials">apfed.org/research/clinical-trials</a> <a href= "https://medicine.duke.edu/divisions/gastroenterology">Duke University Hospital's Department of Gastroenterology </a> Education Partners: This episode of APFED's podcast is brought to you thanks to the support of <a href= "http://www.gsk.com/">GSK,</a> <a href= "https://www.sanofi.com/">Sanofi</a>, <a href= "https://www.regeneron.com/">Regeneron</a>, and <a href= "https://www.takeda.com/">Takeda</a>. Tweetables: "Many people spend a long time seeking answers. Sometimes they feel dismissed before they get a clear diagnosis and a plan that fits their life." — Chukwuemeka Oko, MD, MBA "On the biology side, eosinophilic disease teaches us a lot about how our immune signals can drive information differently across tissues like the esophagus and airways." — Chukwuemeka Oko, MD, MBA "In many trials, a placebo is not the same as no care. Often, the participants continue the standard-of-care treatment, and the study drug or placebo is added to the standard-of-care treatment." — Chukwuemeka Oko, MD, MBA "I tell patients to always ask questions, like what the schedule of events is in the clinical trial." — Chukwuemeka Oko, MD, MBA "[If a patient exits the study], formal visits are necessary for the patient's safety and to make sure that the data points collected in the study will be effective." — Chukwuemeka Oko, MD, MBA "From my years of reviewing medical charts and supporting new recruitments, I feel patients feel most satisfied when they are fully informed and genuinely partnered with the study team." — Chukwuemeka Oko, MD, MBA Guest Bio: <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/emeka-oko-md-mba-1859a7124">Chukwuemeka Oko, MD, MBA</a>

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What is Real Talk: Eosinophilic Diseases?: Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that play a role in immune responses and help fight off infections. When these cells build up and cause inflammation in the digestive system, tissues, organs, and/or bloodstream, without a known cause, it may be the result of an eosinophil-associated disease. Join the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) for a series of conversations with researchers, clinicians, patients, and other community members as we discuss practical strategies for disease management and treatments, research, and other topics of interest.
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