PurposeFood allergies can affect the growth and nutritional status of children with atopic dermatitis (AD). This study was conducted to determine the association between the number of sensitized food allergens and the growth and nutritional status of infants and young children with AD.MethodsWe studied 165 children with AD, aged 5 to 47 months, and who visited the Atopy Clinic of the Seoul Medical Center. We recorded the birth weight, time at which food weaning began, scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index, eosinophil counts in peripheral blood, and total serum IgE and specific IgE to six major allergens (egg white, cow's milk, soybean, peanut, wheat, and fish). The height and weight for age and weight for height were converted to z-scores to evaluate their effects on growth and nutritional status. Specific IgE levels ≥0.7 kUA/L, measured via the CAP assay, were considered positive.ResultsAs the number of sensitized food allergens increased, the mean z-scores of weight and height for age decreased (P=0.006 and 0.018, respectively). The number directly correlated with the SCORAD index (r=0.308), time at which food weaning began (r=0.332), eosinophil counts in peripheral blood (r=0.266), and total serum IgE (r=0.394). Inverse correlations were observed with the z-scores of weight for age (r=-0.358), height for age (r=-0.278), and weight for height (r=-0.224).ConclusionsA higher number of sensitized food allergens was associated with negative effects on the growth and nutritional status of infants and young children with AD. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of both growth and nutritional status, combined with adequate patient management, is crucial in pediatric AD patients presenting with numerous sensitized food allergies.

PurposeA growing body of literature has linked vitamin D deficiency with allergic diseases, particularly atopic dermatitis (AD). In this study, we investigated the association between serum vitamin D status and the clinical manifestation of AD. We also developed an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).MethodsThis study included 157 patients (79 males and 78 females) with AD, aged 4 months to 56 years. We evaluated disease severity using the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index. Serum levels of 25(OH)D3 were determined by LC coupled with MS/MS. Total IgE and specific IgE levels were assayed using the immunoCAP system. ANOVA was used for statistical evaluation.ResultsWe found mild, moderate, and severe AD in 30 (11.1%), 87 (55.4%), and 40 (25.5%) patients, respectively. There was no significant correlation between serum levels of 25(OH)D3 and AD severity. However, among the 36 patients with food sensitization, the mean±SD serum levels of 25(OH)D3 were significantly higher (P<0.05) in patients with mild disease (21.2±5.18 ng/mL) compared with the levels in patients with moderate (17.9±4.02 ng/mL) or severe AD (13.3±5.11 ng/mL) disease.ConclusionsThese results suggest that vitamin D deficiency is related to the severity of AD associated with food sensitization. Thus, these data suggest a role for vitamin D in a select group of AD patients.

According to the cytokine hypothesis of depression, cytokines play key roles in the behavioral, neuroendocrinal, and neurochemical features of depression. In this study, we used a bioplex assay to simultaneously measure the levels of 23 plasma cytokines in 18 patients with late-life depression and 38 normal controls, and these levels were compared between the two groups. The plasma interleukin-1alpha (IL-1a) levels were found to be significantly different between the two groups. After adjusting for age, gender, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride, the plasma IL-1a levels were significantly higher in the patients with late-life depression than in the normal control subjects. Thus, this study provides preliminary evidence that plasma IL-1a may play important roles in the pathogenesis of late-life depression.

A number of studies have investigated peripheral inflammatory indices, including plasma cytokines and related molecules according to subtypes of dementia, but not in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In this study, we used multiplex cytokine assay to assess the plasma levels of 22 cytokines in patients with MCI subtyped as amnestic and non-amnestic, according to cognitive features. When comparing the levels of plasma growth factors, chemokines and cytokines, plasma levels of monocyte chemotactic protein 3 (MCP-3), and beta-nerve growth factor (-NGF) in these two groups, they were found to be significantly higher in amnestic MCI patients than in non-amnestic MCI patients, after adjusting for age and gender. This suggests that plasma MCP-3 and -NGF may be useful in differentiating subtypes of MCI.

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