Correlation analysis of skin barrier function, inflammation, and itching for the development of early remission treatment for food allergies

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K17365
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52050:Embryonic medicine and pediatrics-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: SUGIMOTO Mayumi 徳島大学, 病院, 講師 (20771314)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 食物アレルギー / アトピー性皮膚炎

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the relationship between the severity of atopic dermatitis, various biomarkers reflecting skin barrier function, inflammation, and pruritus, and the severity and clinical course in children with hen's egg allergy.The severity of egg allergy evaluated by oral food challenge was positively correlated with SCORAD score, which indicated the severity of atopic dermatitis, and serum TARC. In addition, the ingestible amount of egg protein after 1 year of oral food challenge, which is an indicator of the clinical course of egg allergy, was negatively correlated with serum TARC and serum IL-31.
The above results suggested that, among the biomarkers that reflected the pathology of atopic dermatitis, there was a relationship with skin inflammation in the severity and clinical course of egg allergy.

Free Research Field

アレルギー学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

鶏卵アレルギーの重症度と臨床経過において血清TARCとの相関を認め、アトピー性皮膚炎の病態の中で特に皮膚炎症との関連が示唆された。血清TARCは、アトピー性皮膚炎患者においては保険診療で測定が可能なバイオマーカーであり、アトピー性皮膚炎を合併する小児鶏卵アレルギー患者の診療で血清TARCを測定し、その速やかな低下および低値の維持を図ることで、鶏卵アレルギーの重症化・遷延化の予防への寄与が期待される。また、本研究開始後の小児アトピー性皮膚炎の治療選択肢の増加で、特に重症度の高い小児アトピー性皮膚炎患者においても皮膚炎症の抑制が可能となり、鶏卵アレルギーの臨床経過への好影響も期待される。