IgG Response to S aureus Linked to Severe Atopic Dermatitis in Children

HealthDay News — Atopic dermatitis (AD) disease severity is associated with immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses against Staphylococcus aureus antigens, according to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Joan E.E. Totté, MD, from the Erasmus MC University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, and colleagues profiled IgG antibodies against 55 S aureus antigens in sera of 207 children with mild to severe AD from 2 separate cohorts.

The researchers found that in the first cohort, 16 antigens were associated with Self Administrated-Eczema Area and Severity Index (SA-EASI) and 12 antigens were associated with thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) in serum (10 overlapping antigens; P values from 0.001 to 0.044). In the second cohort, IgG levels against only 4 S aureus antigens were associated with SA-EASI and one with TARC, although there was no overlap.

“In young children, severity of AD is associated with an IgG response directed against S aureus antigens with mainly immune-modulatory functions,” the authors write. “These findings encourage further evaluation of the role of S aureus in AD pathogenesis.”

Reference

Totte JEE, Pardo LM, Fieten KB, et al. The IgG response against Staphylococcus aureus is associated with severe atopic dermatitis in children [published online November 30, 2017]. Br J Dermatol. doi: 10.1111/bjd.16153