title: Monitoring of disease activity by measurement of inflammatory markers in atopic dermatitis in childhood.
abstract: Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule (ELAM-1), and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) were measured in 20 patients with atopic dermatitis before and after 4 days' treatment with prednisolone p.o. as well as in 16 healthy, nonatopic controls. Before steroid treatment, patients with atopic dermatitis demonstrated significantly higher serum levels of sIL-2R, ICAM-1, and ECP than healthy controls (P < 0.001), whereas ELAM-1 levels were not different between the groups. After 4 days of steroid treatment, clinical improvement was associated with a decrease of sIL-2R (P < 0.003), ICAM-1 (P < 0.004), and ECP serum levels (P < 0.003), but ELAM-1 levels remained unchanged. Both serum ECP and sIL-2R levels were significantly correlated with disease severity before as well as after steroid treatment. Changes of sIL-2R concentrations were strongly related to the changes of ECP levels. In addition, changes of serum sIL-2R and ECP levels in percentage were correlated with clinical improvement. These results indicate that the determination of sIL-2R and ECP serum levels may be useful in monitoring disease activity in atopic dermatitis in childhood, especially in treatment trials.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Pulmonology, University Children's Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Halmerbauer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frischer
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Koller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D012260:Ribonucleases; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D019040:E-Selectin; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D011239:Prednisolone; D012260:Ribonucleases