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Abstract:
Atopic dermatitis (AD) patients mount IgE antibody responses to a
variety of environmental allergens and also to autoantigens. We analyzed
serum samples from four AD patients who had received oral cyclosporine A
(CyA) treatment for up to 17 months regarding IgE autoreactivity to
nitrocellulose-blotted human epithelial cell extracts and IgE levels to
environmental allergens by quantitative ImmunoCap measurements. Skin
inflammation was assessed by SCORAD. During full-dose treatment, a
strong reduction in T-cell-mediated skin symptoms was observed which
reappeared when CyA treatment was reduced or stopped. The intensity of
IgE autoreactivity seemed to follow skin inflammation as it was reduced
during full-dose treatment and increased upon inflammation.
Interestingly, IgE levels to exogenous allergens were boosted by
allergen exposure, declined thereafter, and seemed to be unaffected by
CyA. Our data thus indicate that allergen-specific IgE production is
boosted by allergen contact and cannot be reduced by CyA-mediated T-cell
suppression.
