A Study on the Relationship of the Severity of Atopic Dermatitis, Serum IgE and IFN-gamma

Lee, Joo Heung

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Since the management of atopic dermatitis often needs prolonged administration of medication in children, laboratory index reflecting disease severity is necessary for optimal treatment of this disease. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) are some of the most important factors in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to find out if serum IFN-gamma together with IgE can be used as severity indices or disease markers of atopic dermatitis in Korean children.
METHODS
A total of 14 patients and 6 normal controls were collected. The patients were evaluated for the symptoms and signs of the atopic dermatitis according to the criteria previously reported and classified into the mild and severe group. Blood samples were obtained and measured for serum IgE and IFN-gamma.
RESULTS
Serum IFN-gamma levels of the patients with atopic dermatitis were decreased compared with those of normal control. However, patients in the severe atopic dermatitis group showed no significant difference from those in the mild group in terms of IFN-gamma levels. Serum IgE levels of the patients with atopic dermatitis were significantly increased compared with those of normal control. Moreover, patients from the severe atopic dermatitis group revealed higher IgE levels than those in the mild group.
CONCLUSION
It was concluded that serum IgE can reflect severity of atopic dermatitis whereas serum IFN-gamma, which does not show significant difference between the mild and severe group, can only be used as a disease marker supplementing clinical features.