Effect of staphylococcal enterotoxin B antigen on atopic dermatitis-like lesion induced by contact allergen in hairless mice (37.13)

Abstract

Abstract Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common pruritic disease and its incidence is increasing in infancy and childhood. Patients with AD have reported cutaneous to both environmental and superantigen-producing strains of Staphylococcal aureus. In this study, we investigated the effect of staphyloccoal enterotoxin B (SEB) antigen on atopic dermatitis-like lesion induced by dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) in hairless mice. We treated the DNCB or DNCB+SEB topically on the skin of hairless mice. Repeated epicutaneous sensitization with DNCB or DNCB+SEB induced AD-like skin lesions including erythema followed edema, excoriation and scaling. The histologic features of the skin site in mice treated with DNCB or DNCB+SEB showed epidermal hyperplasia with hyperkeratosis, severe infiltration of eosinophils and increase of mast cells in dermis. The DNCB+SEB-sensitized skin site showed slightly increase in infiltration of eosinophils in dermis compared with DNCB-sensitized skin sites. The serum level of IgE in DNCB+SEB group showed slightly increase compared to the DNCB group. The serum level of IgG2a in DNCB+SEB group showed significantly increase compared to the DNCB. The serum level of IgG1 and IgG2b in DNCB+SEB group showed slightly increase compared to the DNCB. These results suggest that topical exposure to SEB slightly provokes AD-like lesion and hypersensitivity response induced by DNCB in mice.