Atopic Dermatitis

AD patients also have a reduced threshold for pruritus. Using 48-hr Finn chamber testing with graded dilutions of sodium lauryl sulfate, Nassif et al. reported that patients with active or inactive AD had significantly greater irritant skin responses than normal nonatopic controls. Chronic AD lesions contain an extensive deposition of eosinophil granule proteins that include the major basic protein, the eosinophil cationic protein, the eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, and the eosinophil peroxidase. These proteins are deposited in AD lesions mainly through cytolytic degeneration of eosinophils. The increase in the prevalence of AD has been attributed to various environmental factors and lifestyle changes. Topical corticosteroids are useful in acute flares of AD owing to their wide-spectrum anti-inflammatory actions. However, because of their side effects, which include hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis suppression and skin atrophy, the least potent topical corticosteroids should be chosen to achieve the best effects.