BACKGROUND Atopic dermatitis is a common inflammatory disease of the skin that usually begins in childhood and its diagnosis depends on clinical criteria. Recent reports have indicated that the worldwide prevalence of atopic dermatitis is increasing. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of atopic dermatitis in schoolchildren between the ages of six and seven in two school...

We studied the prevalence of subsequent respiratory symptoms and the relation between atopic status and bronchial reactivity in 200 index children and their controls 7 years after acute lower respiratory tract infections in infancy. Index children with recurrent symptoms differed from controls in respect of social and family characteristics and atopic background. Ventilatory function was dimini...

BACKGROUND The role played by vitamin D in atopic dermatitis is controversial and has been the focus of many studies. The ultraviolet index has not been considered in this type of research. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the study were to assess 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] serum level in atopic dermatitis patients and control group, to investigate the association between atopic dermatitis cl...

The relationship between atopy and wheeze was examined in children, together with the possible influence on these conditions of parental atopy and family size. Children with a repeated history of wheezing were selected from an urban general practice population. The children, their first degree relatives, and a control group were examined for atopic status, atopy being defined as more than one p...

Background: The study of non-atopic asthma/wheeze in children separately from atopic asthma is relatively recent. Studies have focused on single risk factors and had inconsistent findings. Objective: To review evidence on factors associated with non-atopic asthma/wheeze in children and adolescents. Methods: A review of studies of risk factors for non-atopic asthma/wheeze which had a non-asthmat...

BACKGROUND Disturbed cytokine production is thought to govern inflammation in asthma, which, in its turn, may lead to uncontrolled disease. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between cytokine production from blood leucocytes and the level of asthma control. METHODS We compared the production of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-γ and tumour necrosis factor-α ...

BACKGROUND Although no scientific evidence has yet been published, it is widely understood that molluscum contagiosum tends to be more common and more intense in patients with atopic dermatitis. This lack of evidence led to the development of the present study. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the prevalence of the association between atopic dermatitis and molluscum contagiosum; to evaluate whether mol...

INTRODUCTION Ascaris lumbricoides-infected patients present lower prevalence of severe atopic dermatitis. METHODS Peripheral blood of infected children with atopic dermatitis was assessed by flow cytometry of the frequency of Th1 and Th2 cells through the expression of CXCR3 and CCR4 chemokine receptors, respectively. RESULTS Helminth-free patients with atopic dermatitis presented a high fr...

On histopathological examination, nasal polyps and nasal mucosa in allergic rhinitis show different forms of pseudostratified respiratory epithelium, whereas the dominant characteristic of lamina propria is an eosinophilic infiltration. The aim of this study was to compare interleukin (IL)-5 and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) levels in the nasal fluid of 42 patients: 12 with allergic rhini...

Alcohol-based hand rubs are used frequently in healthcare settings, but their tolerance among atopic subjects is unknown. The dermal tolerance to five alcohol-based hand rubs was assessed among atopic and non-atopic subjects in a repetitive occlusive patch test. In total, 54 subjects were analysed. One half of the subjects were atopic (modified Erlanger atopy score > or = 8), the other half wer...