BACKGROUND The role of leukotriene (LT) B4, a potent inflammatory mediator, in atopic asthmatic and atopic nonasthmatic children is largely unknown. The lack of a gold standard technique for measuring LTB4 in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) has hampered its quantitative assessment in this biological fluid. We sought to measure LTB4 in EBC in atopic asthmatic children and atopic nonasthmatic chi...

The selective recruitment of eosinophils into the mucosal lining of the airways is a prominent feature of atopic asthma, and is believed to be an important component in the disease pathogenesis. The precise stimuli responsible for the influx of eosinophils remain unclear. Using a semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique, the numbers of copies (relative...

Background: Studies suggest that low concentrations of n–6 long-chain polyenes in early life are correlated to atopic disease in later life. Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the possible preventive effect of -linolenic acid (GLA) supplementation on the development of atopic dermatitis in infants at risk. Design: In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, form...

Atopic dermatitis is common in infancy. The role of food allergy in atopic dermatitis of infancy is unclear. We examined the relationship between atopic dermatitis and immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy in infancy. A birth cohort of 620 infants with a family history of eczema, asthma, hayfever or immediate food allergy in a parent or sibling: 487 children had complete data including s...

BACKGROUND Asthma is divided into atopic and non-atopic phenotypes. The percentages of atopic asthma and allergen sensitization in patients of different ages have not been well studied. OBJECTIVE To determine the percentage distribution of atopic and non-atopic phenotypes in different age groups of asthmatic children, and investigate the distribution of specific IgE to different allergens whe...

BACKGROUND Skin prick test (SPT) and fluorescence enzyme immunoassay (FEIA) are widely used for the diagnosis of Immunoglobulin-E (IgE)-mediated allergic disease. Basophil activation test (BAT) could obviate disadvantages of SPT and FEIA. However, it is not known whether BAT gives similar results as SPT or FEIA for aeroallergens. OBJECTIVES In this study, we compared the results of SPT, BAT a...

The German Atopic Dermatitis Intervention Study (GADIS), which includes 823 children and adolescents, showed that age-related educational programmes are effective in the long-term management of atopic dermatitis. We investigated whether the itch severity obtained in the scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) correlates with quality of life and coping behaviour in children and parents. There were...

Atopic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin disorder that afflicts a growing number of young children. Genetic, immune, and environmental factors interact in a complex fashion to contribute to disease expression. The compromised stratum corneum found in atopic dermatitis leads to skin barrier dysfunction, which results in aggravation of symptoms by aeroallergens, microbes, and other insults...

Recently, patients with hypohidrotic/anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (H/AED) have been reported to have a higher prevalence of symptoms suggestive of atopic disorders than the general population. To better understand atopic diathesis in H/AED, 6 cases of clinically or genetically diagnosed H/AED were examined. The following criteria were evaluated with patient consent: sweating, blood test resu...

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that affects 10% to 20% of children and 1% to 3% of adults in the US. Symptoms often result in sleeplessness, psychological stress, poor self-esteem, anxiety, and poor school or work performance. The cost of atopic dermatitis is estimated to be US$0.9 to 3.8 billion every year. Topical steroids are first-line treatment for atopic derma...