Elevated serum total IgE associated with eczema exacerbation in kids hospitalized for atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) can be a debilitating skin condition, often leading to hospitalization due to severe AD exacerbations or infectious complications.

A new study published in Pediatric Dermatology suggests Elevated serum total IgE is associated with eczema exacerbation in children hospitalized for atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a distressing skin disorder that frequently necessitates hospitalization owing to acute exacerbations or infectious consequences. Because both AD exacerbations and viral complications can present similarly, distinguishing between the two disorders can be challenging. Sanmeet Atwal and colleagues wanted to see if there was a difference in serum IgE levels in children with Alzheimer's disease who were hospitalized for an aggravation of the disease or for AD-related infection complications.

During a 17-year period, a retrospective record study was undertaken on hospitalized children with AD exacerbations and AD-associated infectious complications. Data collection included main diagnosis, length of stay, laboratory, systemic antibiotics, and bacterial culture findings. Age was used to modify serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. The t-test was used to compare age, total IgE levels, duration of stay, and age-adjusted IgE levels. For age-adjusted IgE levels, logistic regression was utilized.

The key findings of this study were:

1. The mean serum total IgE level in participants with AD exacerbation was 9603 15,873 kU/L, which was substantially higher than the 3167 5486 kU/L level in subjects with infection comorbidities (p =.029).

2. Logistic analysis indicated that participants with an age-adjusted IgE level of >4 were more than three times as likely to have AD exacerbation than infectious comorbidities.

This study found that IgE levels were considerably higher in individuals with an AD exacerbation compared to an infectious consequence. These findings point to the need for additional research with standardized lab draws to determine whether IgE levels can be a practical and objective measure to aid in diagnosis and management in children hospitalized for AD exacerbation, potentially allowing clinicians to optimize antibiotic use in this patient population.

Reference:

Atwal, S., & Ong, P. Y. (2023). Elevated serum total IgE is associated with eczema exacerbation in children hospitalized for atopic dermatitis. In Pediatric Dermatology (Vol. 40, Issue 2, pp. 301–304). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/pde.15245