Allergic conjunctivitis: a risk factor for recurrent herpes simplex virus infections in patients with atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Patients with atopic dermatitis have an increased risk of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. We carried out a retrospective, cross-sectional study to investigate the association of disease severity, concomitant atopic diseases and filaggrin mutations with the risk of cutaneous HSV infections in 463 patients with atopic dermatitis. The correlation between predisposing factors and HSV infections was analysed using chi-square and Mann Whitney U-tests, and the relationship was further studied with binomial logistic regression to ascertain odds ratios. Allergic conjunctivitis (aOR: 1.770; CI: 1.008-3.109; p = 0.047) and patient age (aOR: 1.022; CI: 1.007-1.036; p = 0.004) showed statistically significant associations with recurrent HSV infections and eczema herpeticum. HSV infections were not linked to severity of atopic dermatitis (p = 0.435) or filaggrin mutation status (p = 0.886). The results highlight the importance for attentiveness of HSV infections in atopic dermatitis patients with concomitant allergic conjunctivitis.