What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2014. Part 1. Epidemiology, risk factors and outcomes

Abstract

SummaryThis review summarizes key findings from nine systematic reviews on atopic eczema (AE) published or first indexed in 2014. It focuses on epidemiology, disease processes and methodological issues. There is reasonable evidence to conclude that high birth weight (> 4000 g) is a risk factor for the development of AE. A lower socioeconomic position is associated with lower prevalence of AE. The effect of exposure to traffic-related air pollution in childhood on the development of AE is uncertain. CD14 polymorphisms do not appear to have an effect in AE. There may be a role for interleukin-18 in AE development. Patients with AE are at decreased risk of brain tumours, but at increased risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Evidence supports the view that normal-appearing skin in AE is in fact structurally abnormal. Lower success rates at inducing remission in AE are associated with increased risk of relapse during long-term follow-up. The Eczema Area Severity Index (EASI) has been agreed as the preferred core instrument to measure clinical signs in future research. There remains a lack of consensus on the definition of an AE flare.

Associations between air pollution, climate factors and outpatient visits for eczema in West China Hospital, Chengdu, south‐western China: a time series analysis

“…Its high prevalence puts a considerable burden on both eczema sufferers and society and negatively impacts the quality of life for a large number of individuals. 5,6 A growing body of literature supported that the environmental factors such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and air pollutants may play important roles in the exacerbation of eczematous rashes. 3,4 Eczema is usually caused by allergic contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis and irritant contact dermatitis.…”

“…Some studies have shown that lots of internal and external factors provoked eczematous lesions, including genetic predisposition, stress, infections, food intake, inhalant allergens and other daily objects. 5,6 A growing body of literature supported that the environmental factors such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and air pollutants may play important roles in the exacerbation of eczematous rashes. 7 Several studies suggested that seasonal climate changes might lead to the seasonal variation of prevalence and clinical features in eczema.…”

What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of systematic reviews published in 2015. Part 2: prevention and treatment

“…For an update of SRs on the methodological issues and epidemiology of AE, see Part 1 of this update. Similar evidence updates on AE have been published previously, along with the details of the search methods used …”

Association between Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Prevalence of Allergic Diseases in Children, Seoul, Korea

“…Odds ratio (95% CI) We used proximity to the closest major road and density of nearby roads, as proxies for exposure to TRAP, to assess the associations between TRAP exposure and allergic diseases of children. Although many previous epidemiological studies of allergic diseases used exposures to traffic-related air pollutants such as PM 2.5 and NO , other studies also reported relationships using traffic indicators [25,[40][41][42][43][44]. These metrics help us focus on air pollution directly related to traffic, whereas it is difficult to isolate the impact of traffic when we use individual pollutants affected by various sources other than traffic [25,45].…”