INTRODUCTION Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disorder. Vitamin D is a liposoluble vitamin synthesized mainly in the skin. Vitamin D has several effects on the skin. AIM To assess the serum level of vitamin D in children with AD and determine its relation to AD severity. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty patients with AD were enrolled in the study. We evaluated disea...

BACKGROUND Climate and sunlight (ultraviolet radiation) influence activity of atopic eczema. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of moving from a subarctic/temperate climate to a sunny subtropical climate on children's atopic eczema. METHODS Children, 4-13 years, with severe atopic eczema were randomized to stay 4 weeks in Gran Canary (index patients = 30) and home in Norway (controls = 26), w...

Food and beverages may contain high amounts of histamine and thus may cause symptoms after ingestion. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of ingested histamine in atopic dermatitis. Patients with atopic dermatitis had to maintain a histamine-free diet for one week. Consecutively, double-blind, placebo-controlled provocations were performed with histamine-hydrochloride and placebo....

Quantification of quality of life (QOL) related to disease severity is important in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), because the assessment provides additional information to the traditional objective clinical scoring systems. To document the impact of AD on QOL for both children and adults as well as to quantify the relationship with disease severity, QOL assessments were performed over a...

The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability and effectiveness of heliotherapy in moderate or severe atopic dermatitis in adults in the Canary Islands. A total of 216 patients participated on 6 different 2- or 3-week heliotherapy trips. Using the Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis Index (SCORAD), the severity of atopic dermatitis was assessed prior to the start of heliotherapy, a...

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronically relapsing inflammatory skin disease, associated with basophil infiltration into skin lesions and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)-induced inflammation. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including microbicidal peptide human neutrophil α-defensins (HNP) and dermcidin, can exert immunomodulating activity in innate immunity and skin inflammation. We inve...

due to increasing worldwide water pollution, fish might be a source of excessive zinc, mercury, arsenic or  manganese  intake. the  aim  of  this  study  was  to  evaluate if  fish atopy/sensitization and fish consumption behavior are associated with eczema severity and blood levels of the 4 heavy metals. one-hundred and nineteen patients with eczema and 43 patients with miscellaneous non-eczem...

Oranges are suspected of inducing adverse skin reactions in patients with atopic eczema. We studied 21 adult patients with atopic eczema and a history of adverse reactions to oranges and 10 patients without. A dietary history, skin tests, serum IgE and oral provocation tests with oranges were obtained. Severity of eczema was monitored by SCORAD, and serum tryptase, eosinophil cationic protein a...

Many patients with atopic dermatitis are dissatisfied with conventional treatments based on topical steroids and have experienced some traditional remedies and alternative therapies. However, most of such therapies have not been evaluated scientifically and clinically by specialists. This study was designed to assess whether a certain vegetarian diet might be effective for atopic dermatitis and...