All posts by Amity Westcott-Chavez

Update on New ICD-10-CM Codes for Subsets of Eosinophilic Diseases

Announcements, APFED Blog, What's New

Over the past year, APFED and the International Eosinophil Society (IES) partnered to propose and jointly advocate for eight unique and distinct ICD-10-CM Codes for subsets of eosinophilic diseases and for four amendments to existing codes. In early March, APFED Board Member Kathleen Sable and IES President Dr. Bruce Bochner were invited to Baltimore, MD to present the justification for the new codes and amendments to members of the to the ICD Coordination and Maintenance Committee, co-chaired by the  National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

New Codes Proposed

1.       Acute Eosinophilic Pneumonia

2.       Chronic Eosinophilic Pneumonia

3.       Eosinophilic Asthma

4.       Myeloid Hypereosinophilic Syndrome

5.       Lymphocytic Variant Hypereosinophilic Syndrome

6.       Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome

7.       Episodic Angioedema with Eosinophilia, also known as Gleich’s Syndrome

8.       Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS)

Amendments

·    Distinct code for Eosinophilic Gastritis

·    Distinct code for Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis

·    Eosinophilic Colitis, redefining which conditions can be coded as EC

·    Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA), updating existing code to include EGPA (new name), previously known as Churg-Strauss

The proposal for the new codes and the amendments was well received. Following a review period, a decision will be made on the proposed code changes.

The ICD-10-CM coding system is an international classification system that groups related disease and procedures for the purpose of reporting statistical information. These codes provide a uniform language and serve as an effective means for reliable nationwide communication among physicians, patients, and third parties. These codes are necessary for billing, insurance and medical records, and national statistics. Codes also have substantial benefits to the patient community, including promoting research into these diseases, new clinical trials, and successful insurance reimbursement for patients.

In 2008, APFED led efforts for the establishment of medical codes for eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, which greatly advanced research efforts and national health resource allocation in the U.S. for these diseases.

2019 AAAAI/APFED Best Abstract on EGIDs Award Recipients Announced

Press Releases, Uncategorized, What's New

Award winners recognized for best-scoring abstracts focused on eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease

(Atlanta, GA)— The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) today announced the two recipients of the 2019 AAAAI/APFED Best Abstract on EGIDs Awards. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), the awards recognize outstanding research abstracts on eosinophil-associated gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs).  APFED funded two $750 awards to the best-scoring abstracts by a Fellow-in-Training and a Member.

The awards are intended to help defray travel costs to the meeting so that the researchers may present their findings to their peers. Abstract award winners may go on to successfully compete for grants from APFED or from other funding mechanisms.

The 2019 AAAAI/APFED Best Abstracts on EGIDs recipients are Basil M. Kahwash, MD (Fellow-in-Training), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, for his abstract entitled “Peripheral Blood Microarray Analysis in Pediatric Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis,” and Catherine Sonaly Ferreira Martins, MD (Member), Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Hospital das Clínicas, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, for her abstract entitled “EoE, OIT and Anaphylaxis: an unsolved puzzle.”

Catherine Sonaly Ferreira Martins, MD (Member)
Basil M. Kahwash, MD (Fellow-in-Training)

The awards were made possible thanks to the generous donations to APFED’s HOPE on the Horizon Research Program, which has enabled the organization to contribute more than $2 million for the research of eosinophil-associated diseases since the fund began in 2005.

About the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED)

The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to passionately embrace, support, and improve the lives of patients and families affected by eosinophil-associated diseases through education and awareness, research, support, and advocacy. www.apfed.org

About the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has more than 7,000 members in the United States, Canada and 72 other countries. The AAAAI’s Find an Allergist/Immunologist service is a trusted resource to help you find a specialist close to home.

 

###

Research Updates

APFED Blog, Research, What's New
  • A paper published in the January issue of Annals of Allergy & Immunology describes case reports of patients who developed IgE-mediated allergic reactions and anaphylaxis after reintroducing foods following an elimination diet for EoE. “It appears there is a small, but real, risk of a more serious IgE type food reaction developing in EoE patients after a period of restriction,” the authors noted. “Means to identify those at risk is needed and will help direct which patients should have in-office, physician supervised, graded food challenges, continued restriction, or at home food reintroduction. Further epidemiologic and immunologic studies are needed to gain insight into this increasingly recognized phenomenon.”
  • APFED HOPE Grant recipient Dr. Ting Wen recently completed his research project titled, “Defining Esophageal Lymphocyte Phenotype and Function in Eosinophilic Esophagitis.” “The T helper lymphocyte type 2 (Th2) is a type of white blood cell capable of producing Th2 cytokines and that supports accumulation of another type of white blood cell, eosinophils,” Dr. Wen explains. “We found that certain human gastrointestinal bacteria metabolites (short-chain fatty acids) could enhance the Th2 cytokine production by Th2 lymphocytes, potentially causing EoE, and our proposed studies are expected to provide a detailed understanding of the regulatory role of short-chain fatty acids to Th2 cytokine production by Th2 lymphocytes.”
  • Knopp Biosciences LLC is advancing its investigational drug, dexpramipexole, into Phase 2 development in severe asthma and Phase 3 development in hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). Read more.
  • In a recent publication in the Journal of Immunology, researchers find that Charcot–Leyden Crystals (CLCs), which are protein crystals that can form after the degranulation of eosinophils and appear and persist in tissues of patients who have eosinophilic disorders, may play a role in sustaining inflammation. Learn more.
  • A recent paper published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology discusses the relationship between EoE and achalasia, as well as other esophageal motility abnormalities. The researchers suggest that EoE may manifest in a mucosal-predominant or muscle-predominant form, each associated with different clinical manifestations. Learn more.
  • A publication in the journal Gut describes associations with childhood obesity and antibiotics, histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) used during the first two years of life. The authors note that alterations in gut microbiota are linked to obesity, and early exposure to antibiotics and acid suppressants may alter the microbiota and in turn increase the likelihood of weight gain. Read more.

Call to Action: Medical Nutrition Equity Act

APFED Blog, What's New

The Patients & Providers for Medical Nutrition Equity (PPMNE) coalition, a collaborative effort in which APFED participates and supports, is gearing up to reintroduce the Medical Nutrition Equity Act in 2019. The proposed legislation would provide public and private insurance coverage for medically necessary foods (including vitamins) for digestive and inherited metabolic disorders. An example of a medically-necessary food is elemental formula that is often prescribed to patients as dietary therapy for treatment eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, or to meet nutritional needs as the result of a restricted diet.

We need your support to show members of Congress that passage of this bill is important to the patients who rely on medically-necessary foods. Please take a moment to get involved in the following ways:

Reach out to your legislators! The PPMNE website offers a list of current co-sponsors from the House and Senate, and provides look-up tool to help you identify your legislators. If you are represented by a legislator who is not currently co-sponsoring, you may send an email directly from the site using sample language that is provided to encourage co-sponsorship, or by customizing your own communication: https://medicalnutritionequityfor.us/join-us/

Share your story and highlight why insurance coverage of medical foods is important to you and your loved ones: https://medicalnutritionequityfor.us/share-your-story/. These stories are shared with the legislators we meet with in D.C. as we advocate and they have impact!

Thanks in advance for supporting these efforts, and for helping patients to access medically-necessary foods!