Investigations of seborrheic dermatitis. Part I. The role of selected cytokines in the pathogenesis of seborrheic dermatitis.

INTRODUCTION The etiology of seborrheic dermatitis is not fully understood. It has been observed that a number of anascogenic yeasts of Malassezia spp. is related to the intensity of the symptoms. The aim of the study is to measure the concentration of selected inflammatory factors IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ and TNF-α in the serum by an immunoenzymatic method, as well as to confirm the relationship between the studied factors and the clinical condition of the patients (sex, the intensity of skin lesions according to the Scaparro scale) and, finally, to compare the results with the control group. MATERIAL/METHODS The total number of subjects who participated in the study was 66. The control group (C) consisted of 30 volunteers (23 females and 7 males), with no clinical disorders, aged 24-65 (37.41±6.08 years). Thirty-six patients with seborrheic dermatitis (16 females and 20 males), aged 19-76 (38.61±13.77), made up the study group. The determination of IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ and TNF-α was performed by ELISA using a Human High Sensitivity kit (Diaclone, France). Clinically, the intensity of the disease process was evaluated on the Scaparro et al. scale, as modified by Kaszuba. RESULTS We observed statistically significantly higher levels of IL-2 and IFN-γ in patients with seborrheic dermatitis compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that seborrheic dermatitis is a dermatosis characterized by a cell type immune response with an important role of IFN-γ and IL-2.