title: Cefadroxil reduces the production of IgE in a 3 year old asthmatic with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Cefadroxil, a cephalosporin, had been prescribed to children with superinfected atopic dermatitis, and was shown to improve both the infection, the clinical status and induced a dramatic lowering of the serum total IgE levels. Further studies have confirmed the IgE immunomodulating properties of cefadroxil. We report the case of a 3 year old asthmatic child who was hospitalized for superimposed pneumonia and was included in a study evaluating cefadroxil. The child was also suffering of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. After treatment with cefadroxil and oral salbutamol, the child fully recovered. The initially elevated serum IgE (day 1:556 IU/ml) dropped to normal values (day 21: 52 IU/ml), while the production of IgE in vitro by peripheral blood B cells was normalized. We suggest that one mechanism of action of cefadroxil is the stimulation of production of gamma interferon in patients with atopic disorders; this mechanism interferes with the IL-4 primary signal, as well as with other second signals recognized for the synthesis of IgE. Gamma interferon may also prove beneficial for the control of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Hong Hong.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D000420:Albuterol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D002434:Cefadroxil / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D017578:Immunoglobulin Class Switching / Q000502:physiology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000502:physiology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D015847:Interleukin-4; D002434:Cefadroxil; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000420:Albuterol