title: CC chemokines as potential immunologic markers correlated with clinical improvement of atopic dermatitis patients by immunotherapy.
abstract: Although immunotherapy is not accepted as a curative treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD), most studies have shown positive effects of immunotherapy on AD patients. The serum levels of CC chemokine ligand 17 (CCL17), CCL22 and CCL18 have been reported to be highly correlated with disease severity, which suggests important roles for CC chemokines in the pathogenesis of AD.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in clinical and immunologic markers before and after immunotherapy and to find which CC chemokines correlate with clinical improvement after immunotherapy with house dust mite (HDM) allergens in AD patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 20 AD patients who were sensitized to HDM allergens through a skin-prick test and Pharmacia CAP system were treated with subcutaneous immunotherapy using HDM allergens (treatment duration 12-60 months). Eczema area and severity index scores in 20 patients with AD decreased significantly after immunotherapy (P < 0.001). Serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus-specific IgE levels tended to decrease after treatment although this was not statistically significant, and the D. farinae-specific IgE level showed no change. Serum CCL17, CCL22 and CCL18 levels decreased significantly from baseline after treatment (P = 0.043, 0.017 and <0.001, respectively). The percentage reductions in serum CCL17 and CCL22 level were significantly correlated with reductions in disease severity (P = 0.007, R(2) = 0.301 and P = 0.037, R(2) = 0.177, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that CCL17 and CCL22 are good immunological marker candidates that can be used to assess clinical improvement after immunotherapy in AD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon Sook
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Sang Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Wen Hao
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Byung Gi
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Hee Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min-Geol
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwang Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D054414:Chemokine CCL17 / Q000097:blood; D054422:Chemokine CCL22 / Q000097:blood; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D040001:Dermatophagoides farinae / Q000276:immunology; D040002:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus / Q000276:immunology; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D015415:Biomarkers; C106230:CCL17 protein, human; C111792:CCL18 protein, human; C515482:CCL22 protein, human; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D054422:Chemokine CCL22; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D007073:Immunoglobulin E