Upregulation of IL-13 mRNA in subacute and chronic lesions of atopic dermatitis along with scant expression of IL-4 mRNA suggest that IL-13 is a crucial cytokine in lesional skin.
The epithelial-derived cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is sufficient to induce asthma or atopic dermatitis-like phenotypes when selectively overexpressed in transgenic mice, or when driven by topical application of vitamin D3 or low-calcemic analogues.
Collectively, these data suggest a link between the inducible phenotype of CCL23 expression in monocytes by the prototype Th2 molecule pair IL-4/STAT6 and the increased number of CCL23-expressing cells in skin of atopic dermatitis patients.
Mutations in the gene-encoding filaggrin (FLG), a key molecule involved in skin barrier function, have been shown to be a major predisposing factor for atopic dermatitis (AD; eczema).
These data emphasize that skin-barrier impairment due to reduced filaggrin expression plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD and sheds further light on the genetic architecture of atopy in Japan.
The identification of mutations in the barrier protein filaggrin as conferring major susceptibility to atopic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis related asthma has reconfigured our understanding of disease mechanisms and highlights the importance of epidermal barrier disruption as a primary event in the disease.
Filaggrin plays a key role in epidermal barrier function, and its association with atopic eczema emphasizes the importance of barrier dysfunction in eczema pathogenesis.
De novo occurrence of the filaggrin mutation p.R501X with prevalent mutation c.3321delA in a Japanese family with ichthyosis vulgaris complicated by atopic dermatitis.
Our results support an important role for the filaggrin gene variants R501X and 2282del4 in the development and severity of atopic eczema and indicate a possible role for the subsequent progression into eczema-associated phenotypes.
The objectives of this study were to confirm the association between SPINK5, KLK7, FLG variants and atopic dermatitis and to assess how variants influence selected phenotypic traits.
Here we show that two independent loss-of-function genetic variants (R510X and 2282del4) in the gene encoding filaggrin (FLG) are very strong predisposing factors for atopic dermatitis.
Collectively, these data suggest a link between the inducible phenotype of CCL23 expression in monocytes by the prototype Th2 molecule pair IL-4/STAT6 and the increased number of CCL23-expressing cells in skin of atopic dermatitis patients.