title: Clinical features and immunological markers of atopic dermatitis in elderly patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atopic dermatitis (AD) is increasing among the elderly. Staphylococcus aureus colonization is one of the most important aggravating factors in AD.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study analyses the clinical features of AD in elderly patients and determines the pathogenic roles of staphylococcal superantigens in AD with low and high total IgE levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  S. aureus enterotoxin genes were evaluated using PCR. Additionally, S. aureus-specific IgE levels and peripheral blood lymphocyte profiles were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 44 women and 77 men diagnosed with AD with a mean age of 68.92 ± 6.51 years were evaluated. In 17 (68%) patients with AD and low levels of total IgE, there was a positive correlation between the positive results for enterotoxin B, S. aureus-specific IgE antibodies and Th1 cytokine profiles (Spearman's rank correlation test, r = 0.89, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that AD patients with low total IgE levels differ in immunopathogenesis from AD patients with high circulating levels of total IgE AD.
authors: Clinical Department of Internal Medicine, Dermatology and Allergology, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, Poland. andrzejbozek@o2.pl
authors: Andrzej
authors: A
authors: Bozek
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Fisher
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Filipowska
authors: Bogdan
authors: B
authors: Mazur
authors: Jerzy
authors: J
authors: Jarzab
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology*; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D004768:Enterotoxins; D018089:Superantigens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E