PURPOSE OF REVIEW Both atopy and diseases from the spectrum of dermatitis and eczema are among the most frequent clinical problems worldwide; nevertheless, they are still poorly defined and too frequently misdiagnosed. In the present review, studies pertinent to this topic were systematized and critically assessed with particular attention to definitions of relevant diseases. RECENT FINDINGS ...

BACKGROUND The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was designed to allow international comparison of epidemiological data on atopic conditions in childhood. In so doing, further aetiological information would be obtained that in turn would provide a framework for future studies. The global ISAAC results on the prevalence of atopic dermatitis indicated a 60-fold vari...

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic evidence of the association between maternal intake of dairy foods, calcium, and vitamin D during pregnancy and childhood allergic disorders is inconclusive. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between maternal intake of dairy foods, calcium, and vitamin D during pregnancy and childhood allergic disorders in Japanese children aged 23 to 29 months. METHODS Study par...

One hundred and ninety children with atopic eczema were studied prospectively for two and a half years. The mean period of observation was 13 months. Seventy six children (40%) had between them 164 episodes of exacerbation of eczema due to bacterial infection, and in 52 (32%) infection recurred within three months of a previous infection. Twenty five episodes (15%) led to admission to hospital....

BACKGROUND The hygiene hypothesis states that insufficient exposure to certain infectious agents during childhood increases the risk of developing asthma and atopic diseases. Improvements in hygiene levels may be partly responsible for this decline in exposure. AIMS To assess whether hygiene levels in infancy are associated with wheeze and/or atopic eczema, independent of a number of possible...

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD), often called eczema or atopic eczema is a very common skin disease; AD looks different in infants, children, and adults. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the disease in Kurdistan province. Materials and Methods Cross-sectional study using written questionnaires ISAAC  where 4,000 students in two age groups 7-6 and 14 -13 years in the pr...

The present study assessed whether serum carotenoids and tocopherols are associated with atopic diseases (eczema and asthma) in 10- and 13-yr-olds in a Japanese community. Of 2796 students attending schools in Shunan, Japan, in 2006, 396 students were randomly selected for this study using nested case-control design. Atopic diseases and dietary food intake were assessed using self-administered ...

Eczema often precedes the development of asthma in a disease course called the 'atopic march'. To unravel the genes underlying this characteristic pattern of allergic disease, we conduct a multi-stage genome-wide association study on infantile eczema followed by childhood asthma in 12 populations including 2,428 cases and 17,034 controls. Here we report two novel loci specific for the combined ...

BACKGROUND Eczema vaccinatum is the most common severe pathology associated with smallpox vaccination (vaccinia virus), occurring at high rates among individuals with a previous history of atopic dermatitis (atopic eczema). METHODS Monoclonal antibodies capable of neutralizing vaccinia virus, anti-H3 and anti-B5, were developed as a potential therapy for treatment of human eczema vaccinatum. ...

Patients with atopic eczema present higher serum levels of total IgE and different pattern of cytokines, compared to nonatopic eczematous patients. This study aimed to evaluate serum levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IFN , TNF in eczematous children in relation to atopic and nonatopic form. We enrolled 45 eczematous children and 12 controls. Total IgE and specific IgE against principal food an...