title: IgE antibodies to Pityrosporum ovale in atopic dermatitis.
abstract: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to assess serum IgE antibodies directed against Pityrosporum ovale in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), atopic patients with allergic respiratory disease (ARD: rhinitis or asthma) but without eczema, and in healthy controls. IgE binding to P. ovale extract was demonstrated in 49% (35/72) of AD patients. In contrast, anti-P. ovale IgE was found in only one of 27 atopic controls without eczema; all healthy control sera (n = 17) were negative. Of 37 AD patients tested intracutaneously with P. ovale, 31 showed immediate-type reactivity, and 20 of these 31 patients had anti-P. ovale IgE detectable by ELISA, while sera from the six non-responders were all negative. Levels of anti-P. ovale IgE were highest in AD patients aged 20-30 years. No correlation was found with the severity of AD, but there was a non-significant tendency (P = 0.06) to higher levels in AD patients with concomittant respiratory allergy. Anti-P. ovale IgE was significantly correlated with total serum IgE, with specific IgE against various aeroallergens as measured by RAST, and with levels of anti-Candida albicans IgE, measured with a similar ELISA. Thus, production of IgE antibodies against P. ovale occurs very frequently in AD, and rarely in patients with atopic disease without skin involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Wessels
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Doekes
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Van Ieperen-Van Kijk
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Koers
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000032:analysis*; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D007428:Intradermal Tests; D008290:Malassezia / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D007073:Immunoglobulin E