Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin diseases, which generally presents with intense itching and recurrent eczematous lesions. AD affects up to 20% of children and 10% of adults in high-income countries. The prevalence and incidence of AD have increased in recent years. The onset of AD mostly occurs in childhood, although in some cases AD may persist in adult life or even manifest in middle age (adult-onset AD). AD pathophysiology is made of a complex net, in which genetic background, skin barrier dysfunction, innate and adaptive immune responses, as well as itch contribute to disease development, progression, and chronicization. One of the most important features of AD is skin dehydration, which is mainly caused by filaggrin mutations that determine trans-epidermal water loss, pH alterations, and antigen penetration. In accordance with the “outside-inside” theory of AD pathogenesis, in a context of an altered epidermal barrier, antigens encounter epidermal antigen presentation cells (APCs), such as epidermal Langerhans cells and inflammatory epidermal dendritic cells, leading to their maturation and Th-2 cell-mediated inflammation. APCs also bear trimeric high-affinity receptors for immunoglobulin E (IgE), which induce IgE-mediated sensitizations as part of pathogenic mechanisms leading to AD. In this review, we discuss the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of AD, considering patients with various clinical AD phenotypes. Moreover, we describe the cytokine patterns in patients with AD at different phases of the disease evolution, as well as in relation to different phenotypes/endotypes, including age, race, and intrinsic/extrinsic subtypes. We also discuss the outcomes of current biologics for AD, which corroborate the presence of multiple cytokine axes involved in the background of AD. A deep insight into the correlation between cytokine patterns and the related clinical forms of AD is a crucial step towards increasingly personalized, and therefore more efficient therapy.

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Indoor tanning is associated with an increased risk of skin cancer. Nonetheless, its use is still widespread. We aimed to investigate the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of sunbed users in a group of participants in the skin cancer prevention campaign organized by the Italian Cancer League (LILT). During almost 2 years, 4409 individuals were screened in 18 centers. Participants reported having used sunbeds before the age of 15 years in 2.2% of cases, while after age 15 the prevalence of use was 22.2%. Participants with complete information were 3692. Sunbed users aged > 15 years were significantly more frequently females, young, living in Northern Italy, highly educated, and current or former smokers. They had darker phototype, more common nevi, had used sunbeds more frequently before the age of 15, reported a history of sunburns, and use of sunscreens. Indoor tanning is an important public health issue and a relevant target for primary prevention. However, not all countries have adopted the recommendations issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on health risks associated with artificial tanning. A deeper insight into the topic may contribute to identify the best prevention strategies.