Atopic dermatitis and transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy improved simultaneously

Transient hypogammaglobulinemia and severe atopic dermatitis: Open-label treatment with immunoglobulin in a case series

BACKGROUND

We reported on six infants between 5 and 11 months old, with transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy and severe refractory atopic dermatitis, who were treated with open-label immunoglobulin (Ig) after conventional therapy failed. All six infants had an IgG level of <225 mg/dL, elevated eosinophil and IgE levels, and no urine or stool protein losses, but they did exhibit hypoalbuminemia.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the utility of open-label immunoglobulin in infants with severe atopic dermatitis for whom conventional therapy failed. We reviewed the clinical utility of intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis, the most recent research in the field, and suggested mechanisms for its benefit.

METHODS

The six infants were identified from a retrospective chart review at the University of California Los Angeles Allergy and Immunology outpatient pediatric clinic.

RESULTS

All six patients were treated with 400 mg/kg/month of intravenous immunoglobulin and had normalization of their IgG and albumin levels, and all but one had clinically improved atopic dermatitis.

CONCLUSION

Infants with severe atopic dermatitis who did not respond to conventional therapy avoidance may benefit from intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.

Agammaglobulinemia and lack of immunization protection in exudative atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is very frequent in the first 6 months of life, and the severe exudative form of this skin disorder is by no means rare. Failure to achieve immunization protection is a potentially life-threatening complication of exudative atopic dermatitis that may go unrecognized. We report the case of a 6-month-old infant with severe exudative atopic dermatitis in whom hypoproteinemia and agammaglobulinemia were attributed to the massive exudation after exclusion of other possible causes. The patient failed to respond to standard immunization, and adequate protection with a good antibody response could be achieved only after exudation from the skin lesions had been treated by intensive topical skin therapy and multiple intravenous immunoglobulin substitution. Two otherwise similar earlier case reports did not investigate the immune status. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to draw attention to absence of immunization protection in exudative atopic dermatitis.

CONCLUSION

We hope that our case report will motivate pediatricians to check the immunization status of patients with exudative atopic dermatitis and take the necessary steps to improve their care.

Predictors of atopic dermatitis phenotypes and severity: roles of serum immunoglobulins and filaggrin gene mutation R501X

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD), the most common chronic relapsing skin condition of infancy and childhood, is a complex multifactorial disease, which arises from the interaction between strong genetic and environmental factors.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the roles of several factors on the severity of AD including FLG R501X gene mutation, serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels, atopy and accompanying allergic disorders.

METHOD

Children were genotyped for the mutation in FLG R501X gene. Serum levels of major Ig isotypes, atopy and accompanying allergic disorders were assessed.

RESULTS

Study group consisted of 49 patients (M: 26, F: 23) with a mean age of 4.9±3.6 years and control group consisted of 50 children (M: 30, F: 20) with a mean age of 3.8±2.8 years. Genotyping of R501X mutation revealed risk alleles in none of the children in study group or control group. IgG z-scores were significantly higher in patients with AD compared to controls (-0.97±1.13 vs 1.48±1.02, p=0.026). There was a positive trend in IgG z-scores and a negative trend in IgA z-scores across the severity of AD. History of recurrent infections was significantly associated with asthma and/or AR (47.8% in patients with asthma/AR vs 3.8% in those without). Children with low IgG or IgA levels presented at an earlier age with lower rates of atopy and mild type AD.

CONCLUSION

In a sample of Turkish children, FLG R501X genotyping revealed no risk alleles in variable severities of AD or healthy controls. Our data suggest that IgG and IgA levels might have a role in phenotypic features of AD in terms of severity and atopic sensitisation.

Severe atopic dermatitis and transient hypogammaglobulinemia in children

We sought to describe the clinical outcomes of eight pediatric patients diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (AD) and hypogammaglobulinemia through retrospective review of medical records. All patients presented with severe facial AD. The mean and median ages of diagnosis of hypogammaglobulinemia were 6.2 months and 6.5 months, respectively, with a mean immunoglobulin G (IgG) level of 156 mg/dL. Seven of the eight patients identified in our search demonstrated simultaneous improvement in AD and serum IgG levels within 2 years of initial presentation, suggesting a diagnosis of transient hypogammaglobulinemia. The remaining patient demonstrated normalization by age 6, but no IgG levels had been measured between initial presentation and age 6. The five patients who were tested for specific antibody response to tetanus and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccination all produced protective responses. All eight patients initially presented with high serum IgE levels. On initial evaluation, three patients had leukocytosis (white blood cell count >18,000 cells/μL), and six had peripheral blood eosinophilia. Three patients outgrew their AD by age 5, and five had clinically good to excellent control of their AD at their last visit, coincident with normalization of IgG levels. Although severe AD and immunoglobulin deficiency may rarely be associated with complex immunodeficiency disorders, our observations suggest that, with careful immunologic monitoring and diligent skin care, most children who present with severe AD and hypogammaglobulinemia exhibit improvement in dermatitis and serum IgG levels within 2 years of onset without major complications.