Background. The epidemiology of atopic dermatitis (AD) in Chinese outpatients is yet to be clarified. Objectives. To investigate population-based prevalence and clinical features of AD in Chinese outpatients. Methods. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in outpatients with eczema or dermatitis from 39 tertiary hospitals in 15 provinces. Results. This study included 682 patients diagnosed with AD, with the mean age of 28.8 ± 20.1 years and the median course of 5.3 ± 6.9 years. AD patients had more severe itching (30.4% versus 13.8%, p < 0.001) and clinically suspected bacterial infection (21.7% versus 16.1%, p < 0.001) than those of other types of dermatitis. Older patients were more susceptible to have a history of flexion dermatitis (p < 0.001), bacterial infection (p = 0.005), and severe itching (p < 0.001). Outpatients with clinically suspected bacterial infection had 3.53-fold increased risk of AD than those without it (p < 0.001). The morbidity rate of AD in the (20–25°N) region is 2.86 times higher than that in the (40–45°N) region [OR (95% CI): 0.352 (0.241–0.514), p < 0.001]. Conclusions. AD is characterized by unique clinical/demographic features. Bacterial infection and latitude region may have an impact on the incidence of AD in China.

Occupational population-based epidemiological data relating to occupational contact allergies in the Chinese clothing industry are limited. To investigate the prevalence of occupational allergic contact dermatitis (OACD) and to identify the causative allergens among clothing employees in China, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 529 clothing employees at 12 clothing factories in Beijing. All employees were subjected to an interview using self-administered questionnaire and skin examination, and those who were diagnosed with occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) were patch tested. In the present survey, we found that the overall 1-year prevalence of OACD among the clothing employees was 8.5%. The 1-year prevalence of OACD among workers (10.8%) was significantly higher than that among managers (3.2%). The lesions were primarily on the hands and wrists in workers, but the face and neck in managers. The major allergens were nickel sulfate and cobalt dichloride in workers and colophony and p-tert-butylphenol formaldehyde resin in managers. In conclusion, workers are at a higher risk of OACD compared with managers in the Chinese clothing industry. In addition to hand dermatitis in workers, airborne contact dermatitis on the face and neck should be also addressed in managers.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease with an eczematous rash and itching. Due to undesired adverse effects of traditional systemic treatment, there is still an unmet need for safe and effective long-term therapy for refractory AD. As our understanding of the pathogenesis underlying AD grows, novel treatments targeting specific molecules have been developed. Here, we discuss the efficacy and safety profiles of these drugs in recent clinical trials. Among their adverse effects, of particular note is AD acceleration. Although there is still debate about whether certain adverse reactions can be said to be paradoxical adverse events (PAEs), a wide range of PAEs have been reported during biological treatment for chronic immune-mediated diseases. Close surveillance of novel biologics is crucial to detect new undescribed paradoxical reactions and to shed light on the convoluted pathogenesis of AD.