Iontophoretic study of skin vessel reactivity in atopic dermatitis and its correlation to serum IgE levels.
Skin vessel reactivity was studied by means of an iontophoretic technique in 19 adult patients with atopic dermatitis. Fifteen patients were available for reinvestigation some 6 months later in winter. Compared with a control group, we found a significantly increased sensitivity in summer of dermal skin vessels toward the alpha 1-agonist phenylephrine. Patients with elevated serum IgE levels seemed to be more sensitive to phenylephrine. However, the difference was not significant. Isoproterenol, the beta-adrenoceptor agonist, induced blanching (as opposed to erythema) in 7 of 19 (37%) atopic dermatitis patients in summer and in 9 of 15 (60%) in winter compared with 1 of 36 in the control groups. This blanching was antagonized by the alpha-blocker phentolamine. From the results we concluded that there may be an increased alpha-adrenoceptor reactivity and/or a decreased beta-adrenoceptor reactivity in atopic dermatitis patients, which might be a primary defect.
Hörnqvist
R
R
Department of Dermatology, University of Umeå, Sweden.
Henriksson
R
R
Bäck
O
O
D000328:Adult; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D007478:Iontophoresis; D007545:Isoproterenol; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D008688:Methacholine Compounds; D010656:Phenylephrine; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*
D008688:Methacholine Compounds; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D010656:Phenylephrine; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007545:Isoproterenol