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Critical Reviews™ in Immunology

ISSN for PRINT: 1040-8401

Institutional price:	$831.00
Issues per year:	6

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2008, Volume28

96 pages

Issue price - $166.00

Scratching the Surface: Towards Understanding the Pathogenesis of Atopic Dermatitis

Sarita Sehra
Departments of Pediatrics and HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Florencia M. Barbe Tuana
Departments of Pediatrics and HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Mark Holbreich
Departments of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Nico Mousdicas
Departments of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Robert S. Tepper
Departments of Pediatrics and HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Cheong-Hee Chang
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Jeffrey B. Travers
Departments of Dermatology, and HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Mark H. Kaplan
Departments of Pediatrics and HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202

ABSTRACT

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a steadily increasing prevalence affecting 10%−20% of infants and 1%−3% of adults globally. It is often the first clinical manifestation of atopic disease preceding asthma and allergic rhinitis. At least half of the children with AD develop some other form of atopic disease later in life. The pathogenesis of AD involves a complex interplay of factors, including genetic predisposition due to altered immune or skin barrier function, interactions with the environment, and infectious triggers of inflammation. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in understanding the contribution of different factors in the pathophysiology of AD in human and animal model systems. These insights provide new therapeutic potential for the treatment of human AD.