The role of allergic risk and other factors that affect the occurrence of atopic dermatitis in the first 6 months of life

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammation of the skin that often appears in early childhood. The manifestation is related to the tendency towards T helper 2 cytokine immune responses (interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5). Genetic factors are suggested to play important roles in AD, and it can be transmitted to newborns, increasing their risk of developing allergies. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between cord-blood cytokine levels (IL-5, interferon (IFN) γ), cord-blood total immunoglobulin E (IgE) level, perinatal environmental exposure, and the risks of allergy as well as the development of AD in the first 6 months of life. METHODS: A 6-month cohort study with a nested case-control within was conducted on newborns in Jakarta from December 2008 until May 2009. After the umbilical cord blood samples were taken and stored, subjects were followed up monthly until 6 months old. The occurrence of AD and lifestyle or environmental exposures were recorded. The allergic risk was determined using a modified pediatric allergy immunology work groups scoring system based on allergic history (allergic rhinitis, asthma, AD) in the family. The levels of IL-5 and IFN-γ were measured using ELISA and total IgE by CAP system FEIA. Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate risk factors. RESULTS: This study was conducted on 226 subjects. The incidence of AD was 16.4%; of those, 59% had low risk allergy, 38.5% moderate, and 2% high risk. AD mostly occurred at the age of 1 month (57%). Cord blood samples were examined in 37 subjects with AD and 51 without AD; of those, 25% showed high levels of total IgE (>1.2 IU/µL), and 51% showed normally-distributed high absorbance IL-5 values (≥0.0715, absolute value was undetected). The increased level of IL-5 was directly proportional to IgE. High absorbance IFN-γ values (≥0.0795, absolute value = 18.681 pg/µL) were observed in 52% of subjects. CONCLUSION: The associations between the risk of allergy in the family, cord-blood total IgE, IL-5, IFN levels, and some perinatal environmental exposure with AD in the first 6 months of life have not been established.

Skin test in drug eruption Five years experience at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta.

Side effect of a drug should always considered by the physician in prescribing the drug for patients. Drug eruption could be very severe and re-exposure to traces of possible causative drugs may induce the same or even fatal clinical type of skin lesion. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of skin test, an alternative in-vivo methods, in determining the cause of drug eruption. A retrospective study on results of skin test (patch and prick test) in drug eruption was conducted during 5 years period (1998-2002), with special interest on clinical type of lesion. The most prominent clinical type were fixed drug eruption(FDE), urticaria, eczematous eruption, exanthematous eruption, and erythroderma. Skin test was done on 125 out of 746 patients with drug eruption, and 34.4% gave positive results. In some mild cases of urticaria and FDE oral provocation test was done with special precaution. The results showed that skin test could be considered as an alternative, safe and relatively easy way to the oral challenge test to find the causative drug in drug eruption, especially the severe form.