DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2026-10-2-1
Bronchial asthma and esophageal diseases: clinical and functional features
A.B. Katser1, I.V. Demko1,2, E.A. Sobko1,2
1Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation
2Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Hospital, Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation
Background: the coexistence of bronchial asthma (BA) and esophageal pathology continues to attract considerable research interest owing to shared pathogenetic mechanisms and the mutually aggravating effect of these conditions on one another.
Aim: to investigate the clinical and functional characteristics of patients with BA concomitant with esophageal pathology.
Patients and Methods: this retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Allergology of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Hospital (Krasnoyarsk). A total of 112 hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of BA were examined. Group 1 included 49 (43.75%) patients, of whom 29 (59.18%) were female and 20 (40.82%) were male patients; the median age was 51 [37; 61] years. Group 2 included 63 (56.25%) patients, of whom 47 (74.6%) were female and 16 (25.4%) were male patients; the median age was 56 [44; 65] years. The assessment methods included medical history taking, physical examination, and administration of questionnaires, including the short version of the Asthma Control Questionnaire, the Asthma Control Test, the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire, the Dysphagia Symptom Questionnaire, and the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Instrumental methods included spirometry with bronchodilator testing and esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Laboratory assessment included complete blood count and T2 inflammation markers, namely peripheral blood eosinophil count and serum total IgE level, as well as morphologic examination of esophageal biopsy specimens.
Results: in the structure of esophageal pathology, the majority of patients had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), accounting for 45 (71.4%) cases; fungal esophagitis was identified in 20 (31.7%) patients, and eosinophilic esophagitis was diagnosed in 3 (4.76%) patients. In our study, patients with BA and concomitant esophageal pathology did not differ from the control group in the level of disease control; however, they demonstrated more marked clinical manifestations, lower pulmonary function parameters, and statistically significantly poorer quality-of-life scores across nearly all domains assessed.
Conclusion: the study demonstrated the negative impact of esophageal pathology on the severity of bronchial obstruction, pulmonary function indices, and quality-of-life measures, underscoring the importance of identifying and correcting esophageal pathology in patients with BA.
Keywords: bronchial asthma, gastroesophageal disease, esophagitis, esophageal pathology, T2 inflammation markers.
For citation: Katser A.B., Demko I.V., Sobko E.A. Bronchial asthma and esophageal diseases: clinical and functional features. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2026;10(2):64–71 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2026-10-2-1
About the authors:
Anna B. Katser — postgraduate student of the Department of Hospital Therapy and Immunology with a Postgraduate Education Course, Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University; 1, Partizana Zheleznyaka str., Krasnoyarsk, 660022, Russian Federation; ORCID iD 0000-0002-6649-8900
Irina V. Demko — Dr. Sc. (Med.), Professor, Head of the Department of Hospital Therapy and Immunology with Postgraduate Education Course, Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University; 1, Partizana Zheleznyaka str., Krasnoyarsk, 660022, Russian Federation; Head of the Pulmonary and Allergy Center, Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Hospital; 3A, Partizana Zheleznyaka str., Krasnoyarsk, 660022, Russian Federation; ORCID iD 0000-0001-8982-5292
Elena A. Sobko — Dr. Sc. (Med.), Professor of the Department of Hospital Therapy and Immunology with Postgraduate Education Course, Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University; 1, Partizana Zheleznyaka str., Krasnoyarsk, 660022, Russian Federation; Head of the Department of Allergology, Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Hospital; 3A, Partizana Zheleznyaka str., Krasnoyarsk, 660022, Russian Federation; ORCID iD 0000-0002-9377-5213
Contact information: Anna B. Katser, e-mail: lesmotsfors@mail.ru
Financial Disclosure: the study was funded by the Russian Science Foundation (agreement No. 25-25-20142 dated May 21, 2025) and the Krasnoyarsk Regional Fund for Support of Scientific and Technical Activities (agreement No. 38 dated April 7, 2025).
There is no conflict of interest.
Received 29.02.2026.
Revised 17.03.2026.
Accepted 27.03.2026.
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