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Immediate and Delayed Hypersensitivity to Mite Antigens in Atopic Dermatitis
Author(s) -
Varela Paulo,
Selores Manuela,
Gomes Eva,
Silva Elvira,
Matos Eduarda,
Dos Santos Lopes,
Amado João,
Massa António
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
pediatric dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.542
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1525-1470
pISSN - 0736-8046
DOI - 10.1046/j.1525-1470.1999.99001.x
Subject(s) - medicine , mite , atopic dermatitis , immunoglobulin e , immunology , delayed hypersensitivity , dermatology , antigen , allergy , radioallergosorbent test , house dust mite , antibody , biology , botany
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common disorder and appears to be on the increase, especially among children. It was thought at first to be a manifestation of immediate hypersensitivity, but it is now known that delayed hypersensitivity also plays an important role. Sensitivity to mite antigens is found in 20% to 60% of patients when immediate hypersensitivity is evaluated by the detection of specific IgE antibodies and prick tests, and in 30% to 50% of patients when delayed hypersensitivity is studied by patch testing. A prospective randomized study was carried out in the pediatric dermatology clinic on a sample of 51 children under 15 years of age. A prevalence of immediate and delayed hypersensitivity to mites, like that described for other populations, was found. It was further found that there was a positive association, not described in the literature, between the younger age groups and delayed hypersensitivity to mite antigens, while the opposite was true for immediate hypersensitivity. We believe that patch tests with airborne allergens, specifically mites, should be part of the protocol for assessing children with AD, particularly in the younger age groups.