347 Association between Autoimmune Reactions, Herpes Infection and Severity of Atopic Dermatitis in Children

Abstract

BackgroundAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease predominately with the beginning in childhood. One hundred autoantigens and more are capable of binding with autoantibodies in AD patients, including autoantigens with common epitopes of EBV. Aim of study was to reveal IgE- and IgG-autoreactivity to some tissue proteins and IgG-abs to some herpes viruses and to compare the received dates with the severity of AD.MethodsIn the sera of 157 children with AD (from 1 to 17 years old) the levels of IgG- and IgE-abs to keratin, collagen III and VI, elastin, myosin and basic myelin protein were determined in adapted ELISA. The levels of IgG-abs to HSV, CMV and EBV were determined using commercial kit of ELISA. The level of total IgE and IgE-antibodies to allergens were detected using an autoanalyzer.ResultsIn all age groups of patients (with light AD, middle AD and severe AD) elevated levels of total IgE were revealed, especially in children with severe AD (Me = 360 KU/L (80 – 1160); P < 0.05). An increased contents of IgE-abs to keratin (Me = 2.71 ME/mL (1.4–13.69); P < 0.05) and elastin (Me = 2.69 ME/mL (1.4–2.78); P < 0.05) and IgG-abs to keratin (Me = 296.21 μg/mL (127.88–342.01); P < 0.05) were revealed in children with severe AD in comparison with healthy children. Whereas in children with light AD the levels of these antibodies were not significantly increased (P > 0.05), but were being increased in proportion to a severity of AD. We revealed a correlation between the levels of total IgE and the levels of IgE-abs to keratin in children with severe AD (r = 0.35; P < 0.05). In addition we revealed that the levels of IgG-abs to HSV were being increased in proportion to a severity of AD. Maximal increased level of IgG-abs to HSV was in children with severe AD (Me = 2.93 units of OD (0.14–3.15); P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe detection of the elevated levels of the autoantibodies, especially against the background of herpetic infection, amplifies the phenotypic and diagnostic criteria of severity of AD and allows the clinician to choose the most adequate and effective treatment of AD patients.