Cyclosporin A treatment is associated with increased serum immunoglobulin E levels in a subgroup of atopic dermatitis patients.

Abstract

Cyclosporin A is increasingly used in the treatment of severe refractory atopic dermatitis. Although cyclosporin A treatment is highly efficacious and relatively safe, we report four adult atopic dermatitis (AD) patients who deteriorated during long-term cyclosporin A treatment, with clinical signs and symptoms more severe than at the onset of treatment. Interestingly, these patients showed large increases of total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, paralleled by increasing disease severity and serum levels of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine. This implies that cyclosporin A may induce a shift to Th2, resulting in increased IgE synthesis, in a subpopulation of AD patients. We therefore suggest that in this subpopulation, treatment with anti-B cell or combined anti-B and T-cell treatment may be favorable.

• Authors: Dirk Jan Hijnen, Edward Knol, Carla Bruijnzeel-Koomen, Marjolein de Bruin-Weller
• Journal: Dermatitis : contact, atopic, occupational, drug (Dermatitis) Vol. 18 Issue 3 Pg. 163-5 (Sep 2007) ISSN: 1710-3568 [Print] United States
• PMID: 17725924 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Immunosuppressive Agents
• Immunoglobulin E
• Cyclosporine

Topics

• Adult
• Cyclosporine (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Dermatitis, Atopic (blood, drug therapy, immunology, pathology)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Eczema (chemically induced, diagnosis, pathology)
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin E (blood)
• Immunosuppressive Agents (administration & dosage, adverse effects)