Atopic dermatitis as a systemic disease.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease that seriously affects the quality of life of these patients. Both immune deviations and epidermal barrier deficiency have been defined as pathophysiologic mechanisms in the disease development. The atopic march, or the natural progression form atopic dermatitis in infancy to asthma and allergic rhinitis, is a classic example for the multiorgan involvement in atopy. It has been hypothesized that epidermal barrier impairment is the primary pathologic condition responsible for the atopic march. In recent decades, a growing body of evidence has accumulated that AD can be accompanied by a variety of systemic diseases, such as autoimmune disorders, ophthalmologic involvement, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, inflammatory bowel disease, nephritic syndrome, and metabolic diseases. This contribution reviews these associations and focuses on the possible common underlying mechanisms of AD and the associated syndromes. We present a concept on AD as a multiorgan systemic disease.
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Tokuda Hospital-Sofia, 51B Nikola Vaptsarov blvd, 1407 Sofia, Bulgaria. Electronic address: Darlenski@abv.bg.
Razvigor
R
Darlenski
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical Faculty, Medical University-Sofia, 1 St. Georgi Sofiiski str., 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Jana
J
Kazandjieva
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.
Evgeniya
E
Hristakieva
Department of Dermatology, Charité University Clinic, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Joachim W
JW
Fluhr
D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004817:Epidermis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications