Study Of Specific IgE Antibodies To The Malassezia Yeasts And Candida Albicans In Atopic Dermatitis

[Objective]To investigated the prevalence of atopic dermatitis(AD)in teenagers in Kunming.To analyse the correlation between the levels of specific IgE antibodies to the Malassezia yeasts and Candida albicans in serum and the clinical severity of AD. To study the role of Malassezia and Candida albicans in atopic dermatitis.[Methods]The 3,675 cases of teenagers aged 3-18 were surveyed with questionnaire, telephone survey and physical examination in Kunming.We collected 23 cases of patients with AD who meet the Williams criteria and estimated their eczema area and severity index(EASI)score.The levels of total IgE and specific IgE antibodies to the Malassezia yeasts and Candida albicans in serum of 23 cases of AD,8 cases of Seborrheic Dermatitis(SD),19 healthy controls were measured with fluorescence-enzyme immunoassay.Their levels of IL-4 and IFN-γin serum were measured with Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay(ELISA).We analysed the correlation between the levels of specific IgE antibodies to the Malassezia yeasts and Candida albicans in serum and the clinical severity of AD.The correlation between the levels of total IgE in serum and the clinical severity of AD were also analysed.[Results]1.The total prevalence of AD in teenagers in Kunming was 2.45‰.The prevalence of the males and the females were 2.96‰and 2.01‰,respectively.There was no difference in the prevalence of the males and the females(p＞0.05).The prevalence of AD decreased with age.The total standardized prevalence(SP)of AD was 2.58‰.The SPs of the males and the females were 2.80‰and 2.39‰, respectively.There were statistically difference between SPs of the males and that of the females(P＜0.01).2.The level of serum total IgE antibody of AD was significantly higher than that in healthy controls(p＜0.01).There was no statistically difference in the level of serum total IgE antibody between the patients with AD and the patients with SD(p＞0.05),as well as between the patients with SD and the healthy controls(p＞0.05).The level of specific IgE antibodies to the Malassezia yeasts in serum was higher in patients with AD than that of healthy controls(p＜0.05);There was no difference in the level of specific IgE antibodies to the Malassezia yeasts in serum between the patients with AD and the patients with SD(p＞0.05).There were no difference in the level of serum specific IgE antibodies to the Candida albicans between the groups(p＞0.05).3.There was strong correlation between the levels of specific IgE antibodies to the Malassezia yeasts in serum and EASI score(p＜0.01),as well as between the levels of total serum IgE antibody in serum and EASI score(p＜0.01).4.The level of IL-4 in serum was significantly lower in patients with AD than in healthy controls(p＜0.01).The level of IL-4 in serum was lower in patients with SD than in healthy controls(p＜0.01).There was no difference in the level of IL-4 in serum between the patients with AD and the patients with SD(p＞0.05).There were no difference in the level of IFN-T in serum between the groups(p＞0.05).[Conclusion]1.The total prevalence of AD in teenagers in Kunming was 2.45‰.The prevalence of the males and the females were 2.96‰and 2.01‰,respectively.There was no difference in the prevalence of the males and the females.The prevalence of AD correlated negatively with the age.The total standardized prevalence(SP)was 2.58‰.The SP of the males was higher than that of the famales.2.The level of serum total IgE antibody increased significantly in patients with AD and it was correlated strongly with the EASI score of patients with AD.It suggested that there were typeⅠhypersensitivity in patients AD and IgE may play an important role.3.The levels of specific IgE antibodies to the Malassezia yeasts increased in some patients with AD and they correlated strongly with the EASI score.It showed that the Malassezia species may play a role in the pathogenesis of AD,which implied that antifungal medicine may be applied to the treatment of AD.