Allergens and atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Childhood onset of atopic dermatitis (AD) is often associated with food allergy, asthma, and allergic rhinitis (AR), otherwise known as the atopic march. Skin barrier dysfunction has been found to be a key component of the atopic march.1 Nevertheless, most patients with AD do not have food allergies, asthma, or AR. This highlights the myriad of AD triggers as it is known that beyond the role of allergies, AD can be induced by many environmental factors including Staphylococcus aureus (S aureus), pollution, detergents, different irritants, scratching, and other noxious agents that inflict skin epithelial damage.