Increased Incidence of juvenile onset systemic lupus erythematosus in children with atopic dermatitis

Risk of atopic dermatitis and the atopic march paradigm in children of mothers with atopic illnesses: A birth cohort study from the United Kingdom

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is thought to precede the onset of other allergic illness (OAI) in a temporal progression (ie, atopic march), yet the timing and progression has been questioned. It is also unclear how parental allergic illness impacts the development of these illnesses in offspring.

OBJECTIVE

(1) Explore risk of incident AD and (2) timing of allergic disease onset in children of mothers with AD compared with mothers without AD from the United Kingdom.

METHODS

We created a birth cohort of mother-child pairs using IQVIA Medical Research Data database and developed Cox proportional models to examine the above associations (hazard ratio, HR [95% confidence interval, CI]).

RESULTS

Among 1,224,243 child-mother pairs, mean child (standard deviation) follow-up time was 10.8 (8.3) years and 50.1% were males (N = 600,905). Children were 59% (HR = 1.59 [1.57, 1.60]) more likely to have AD if their mothers had AD compared with no AD with mean age of first AD diagnosis at 3.3 (4.8) years. Most children with any diagnosis of AD present with AD first (91.0%); however, in those with asthma, only 67.8% developed AD first.

CONCLUSION

Children born to mothers with AD are more prone to develop AD and some develop OAI first, suggesting that not all follow the same sequential pathway.

Allergy and autoimmunity in children: non-mutually exclusive diseases. A narrative review

In last decades a simultaneous increase in the prevalence of atopic and autoimmune disorders in pediatric population has been observed. Despite the Th1-Th2 paradigm, supporting the polarization of the immune system with Th1 response involved in autoimmune diseases and Th2 response leading to hypersensitivity reactions, recent evidence suggests a possible coexistence of common pathogenic pathways as result of shared immune dysregulation. Similar genes and other mechanisms such as epithelial barrier damage, gut microbiota dysbiosis and reduced number of T regs and IL-10 contribute to the onset of allergy and autoimmunity. IgA deficiency is also hypothesized to be the crosslink between celiac disease and allergy by lowering gut mucous membrane protection from antigens and allergens. The present narrative review aims to give an overview of the co-occurrence of allergic and autoimmune disorders (celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, type 1 diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis) in pediatric population, based on the available evidence. We also highlighted the common pathogenic pathways that may underpin both. Our findings confirm that allergic and autoimmune diseases are commonly associated, and clinicians should therefore be aware of the possible coexistence of these conditions in order to ameliorate disease management and patient care. Particular attention should be paid to the association between atopic dermatitis or asthma and celiac disease or type 1 diabetes and vice versa, for therapeutic interventions. Further studies are needed to better clarify mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and eventually identify new therapeutic strategies.

Staphylococcus aureus skin colonization promotes SLE-like autoimmune inflammation via neutrophil activation and the IL-23/IL-17 axis

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of various organs such as skin, kidneys, bones, and brain and the presence of autoantibodies. Although the cause of SLE is not completely understood, environmental factors, genetic susceptibility, hormone factors, and environmental factors are thought to play essential roles in the pathogenesis of SLE. Among environmental factors, the microbiota are linked to the development of different autoimmune diseases. The microbiota in the nasal cavity and gut are involved in SLE development, but the influence of skin microbiota is still unclear. Here, we demonstrated that epithelial cell-specific IκBζ-deficient (Nfkbiz^ΔK5) mice showed spontaneous skin inflammation with increased abundance of Staphylococcus aureus on the skin. When S. aureus was epicutaneously applied on Nfkbiz^ΔK5 mice, Nfkbiz^ΔK5 mice developed SLE-associated autoantibodies, anti-dsDNA antibodies, anti-Sm antibodies, and glomerulonephritis with IgG deposition. Epicutaneous S. aureus application significantly increased staphylococcal colonization on the skin of Nfkbiz^ΔK5 mice with reduced expression of several antimicrobial peptides in the skin. This staphylococcal skin colonization promoted caspase-mediated keratinocyte apoptosis and neutrophil activation, inducing the interleukin-23 (IL-23)/IL-17 immune response by activating dendritic cells and T cells. Furthermore, the subcutaneous administration of anti-IL-23p19 and anti-IL-17A antibodies alleviated the systemic autoimmune response. Together, these findings underscore epithelial-immune cross-talk disturbances caused by skin dysbiosis as an essential mediator inducing autoimmune diseases.

Atopic dermatitis and risk of autoimmune diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease and presents a major public health burden worldwide. Recent observational studies revealed the potential association between atopic dermatitis with autoimmune disorders. However, there is no meta-analysis of the prevalence or incidence of autoimmune diseases in atopic dermatitis. Therefore, considering the potential clinical implications of these associations, we aimed to assess the risk of autoimmune diseases in patients with atopic dermatitis using this method.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched from inception to October, 2020. Observational studies which provided estimate effects with 95% CI or raw data were included. The quality of selected studies was evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Odds ratio and relative risks were pooled using a random effects model and expressed with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Fourteen observational studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The random-effects meta-analysis of case–control and cross-sectional studies showed a significant association of atopic dermatitis with mutiple autoimmune diseases, including alopecia areata, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, systematic lupus erythematosus, ulcerative colitis and vitiligo. Furthermore, pooling of the results of cohort studies showed that patients with atopic dermatitis were more likely to develop these autoimmune diseases.

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis showed that patients with atopic dermatitis were at higher risk of multiple autoimmune diseases including alopecia areata, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, systematic lupus erythematosus, ulcerative colitis and vitiligo. It is important for early detection of the affected group so that timely management can be initiated. Dermatologists and allergists should be aware of the autoimmune diseases in patients with atopic dermatitis and develop interventions if necessary. Also, limited by the present research, we still require more large-scale studies to further establish the association between atopic dermatitis and autoimmune diseases.

Association of atopic dermatitis with an increased risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Context:

Previous studies on the association between atopic dermatitis (AD) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have yielded inconsistent results.

Aims:

To investigate the relationship between atopic dermatitis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Settings and Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Materials and Methods:

A systematic review was conducted on EMBASE and MEDLINE databases from inception to March 2020 using a search strategy that consisted of terms related to AD and SLE. Eligible study must be either cohort or case-control study. For cohort studies, they must include patients with AD and comparators without AD, then follow them for incident SLE. For case-control studies, they must include cases with SLE and controls without SLE and examine their prior history of AD.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Meta-analysis of the studies was performed using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method to combine effect estimate and standard error. Funnel plot was used to assess publication bias.

Results:

A total of 21,486 articles were retrieved. After two rounds of review by three investigators, six case-control studies were qualified for the meta-analysis. The case-control study meta-analysis found a significantly increased odds of SLE among patients with AD with the pooled odds ratio of 1.46 (95% CI, 1.05–2.04).

Conclusions:

A significant association between AD and increased odds of SLE was observed by this systematic review and meta-analysis.

IgE Autoreactivity in Atopic Dermatitis: Paving the Road for Autoimmune Diseases?

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common skin disease affecting 20% of the population beginning usually before one year of age. It is associated with the emergence of allergen-specific IgE, but also with autoreactive IgE, whose function remain elusive. This review discusses current knowledge relevant to the mechanisms, which leads to the secretion of autoreactive IgE and to the potential function of these antibodies in AD. Multiple autoantigens have been described to elicit an IgE-dependent response in this context. This IgE autoimmunity starts in infancy and is associated with disease severity. Furthermore, the overall prevalence of autoreactive IgE to multiple auto-antigens is high in AD patients. IgE-antigen complexes can promote a facilitated antigen presentation, a skewing of the adaptive response toward type 2 immunity, and a chronic skin barrier dysfunction and inflammation in patients or AD models. In AD, skin barrier defects and the atopic immune environment facilitate allergen sensitization and the development of other IgE-mediated allergic diseases in a process called the atopic march. AD is also associated epidemiologically with several autoimmune diseases showing autoreactive IgE secretion. Thus, a potential outcome of IgE autoreactivity in AD could be the development of further autoimmune diseases.

Patients with asthma have a higher risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the association between asthma and risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using systematic review and meta-analysis technique.

METHODS

Potentially eligible studies were identified from Medline and EMBASE databases from inception to March 2020 using search strategy that comprised of terms for "asthma" and "systemic lupus erythematosus." Qualified cohort study must consist of one cohort of patients with asthma and another cohort of individuals without asthma. Then, the study must report relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of incident SLE between the two groups. Qualified case-control studies must consist of cases with SLE and controls without SLE. Then, the study must explore their history of asthma. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% CIs of the association between asthma status and SLE must be reported. Point estimates and standard errors were extracted from each study and were combined using the generic inverse variance method.

RESULTS

A total of 21,486 articles were identified. After two rounds of independent review by three investigators, three cohort studies and seven case-control studies met the eligibility criteria and were included into the meta-analysis. Patients with asthma had a significantly higher risk of SLE compared with individuals without asthma with the pooled odds ratio of 1.37 (95% CI 1.14-1.65; I² 67%). Funnel plot was symmetric and did not suggest the presence of publication bias.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study found a significant association between asthma and increased risk of SLE. Key Points • Studies have suggested an elevated risk of systemic lupus erythematosus among patients with asthma; however, the results from existing studies are inconsistent. • This meta-analysis included data from three cohort studies and seven case--control studies. • A significant association between asthma and elevated risk of systemic lupus erythematosus was observed, with the pooled odds ratio of 1.37 (95% CI 1.14-1.65; I² 67%).

Children with allergic diseases have an increased subsequent risk of migraine upon reaching school age

The association between migraine and allergy has remained a subject of debate for more than a century. To systemically investigate the interaction between children with antecedent allergic diseases and their future risks of migraine on reaching school age, we recruited 16,130 children aged 7-18 with migraine diagnosed between 2000 and 2008, and 64,520 matched controls without a history of migraine. The ORs of migraine were calculated for the association with allergic diseases diagnosed before migraine diagnosis. The allergic diseases included atopic dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis (AR), and asthma. Children with preceding allergic diseases had a greater subsequent risk of migraine than the controls. Among the four evaluated diseases, AR had the highest adjusted OR (aOR) of 2.17 (95% CI 2.09 to 2.26). Children with all four allergic diseases had the highest aOR of 3.59 (95% CI 2.91 to 4.44). Further, an increasing trend of aORs was observed with more allergic disease-associated medical consulting. Our study indicates that children with allergic diseases are at increased subsequent risk of migraine when they reach school age, and the risk shows a cumulative effect of more allergic diseases and more allergy-related healthcare.

Filaggrin loss-of-function mutations as risk factors for ischemic stroke in the general population

Essentials FLG mutations cause atopic dermatitis, previously found to be associated with ischemic stroke. Association between FLG mutations and ischemic stroke was examined in 97 174 Danish individuals. FLG mutations were associated with increased ischemic stroke risk in the general population. The association was most pronounced in younger individuals, and in current and former smokers.

SUMMARY

Background Heritability studies have shown a considerable genetic component to ischemic stroke risk; however, much is unknown as to which genes are responsible. Also, previous studies have found an association between atopic dermatitis and increased ischemic stroke risk. Objective To test the hypothesis that FLG loss-of-function mutations, known to be associated with atopic dermatitis, were also associated with ischemic stroke. Methods A total of 97 174 individuals, with 3597 cases of ischemic stroke, from the Copenhagen General Population Study, the Copenhagen City Heart Study and the Copenhagen Carotid Stroke Study were genotyped for the two most common filaggrin mutations, FLG R501X and FLG 2282del4. Results FLG mutation carriers had an odds ratio for ischemic stroke of 1.15 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.30) compared with non-carriers. Risk of ischemic stroke for FLG mutation carriers was higher among individuals aged < 50 years, with an odds ratio of 1.72 (1.11-2.67), compared with non-carriers. When stratified for smoking, ischemic stroke risk was primarily seen in current and former smokers, with an odds ratio of 1.25 (1.08-1.44). FLG mutations were not associated with conventional cardiovascular risk factors except for slightly more pack-years smoked among mutation carriers, but were associated with increased risk of self-reported eczema, with an odds ratio of 1.42 (1.32-1.52). Finally, self-reported eczema was associated with increased ischemic stroke risk, with an age and sex adjusted hazard ratio of 1.24 (1.01-1.52); however, the association was not statistically significant after multifactorial adjustment. Conclusion In this study of 97 174 individuals from the Danish general population, FLG loss-of-function mutations were associated with increased ischemic stroke risk; however, residual confounding is a possibility.

Comorbidities of Atopic Dermatitis: Beyond Rhinitis and Asthma

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In this review article, we summarize the current evidence about atopic dermatitis (AD)-associated comorbidities, beyond the traditional atopic and allergic conditions.

RECENT FINDINGS

Patients with AD may have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, certain malignancies, autoimmune diseases, and neuropsychiatric diseases. The causes of these associations are likely multifactorial and may include genetic predispositions, systemic low-grade inflammation, environmental exposures, medication, and lifestyle and behavioral risk factors. There appears to be geographical variations in prevalence of comorbidities in patients with AD, indicating that differences in ethnicity and lifestyle factors may significantly influence the risk of certain comorbidities.

SUMMARY

The reported comorbidities in recent literature emphasize the burden of disease in patients with AD. Early appropriate AD therapy, in combination with reduction of risk factors, may help prevention of certain comorbidities. The reported observations may generate hypotheses for future investigations in underlying risk factors for AD-associated comorbidities.

Atopic dermatitis and association of risk for primary immune thrombocytopenia and autoimmune diseases among children: A nationwide population-based cohort study

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is currently defined as an acquired autoimmune disorder with persistent thrombocytopenia. However, the temporal interaction between T helper type 2 cell (Th2)-mediated allergic diseases and T helper type 1 cell (Th1)-mediated ITP remains unknown. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is considered one of the first steps in the atopic march. Herein, we conducted a population-based cohort analysis to investigate the risk of ITP in children with AD in comparison with non-AD controls. We subsequently compared the occurrence of other autoimmune diseases in ITP children in both AD and non-AD cohorts. From 2000 to 2007, 120,704 children with newly diagnosed AD and 241,408 randomly selected non-AD controls were included in the study. By the end of 2008, incidences of ITP in both cohorts and the AD cohort to non-AD cohort hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were measured. Comparison of the occurrence of other autoimmune diseases in ITP between children with and without AD was analyzed. The incidence of ITP during the study period was 1.72-fold greater (95% CI: 1.13-2.62) in the AD cohort than in the non-AD cohort (6.96 vs 4.00 per 100,000 person-years). The risk was greatest among male children, children >2 years, those in densely populated areas, and those with white-collar parents. The HR of ITP in AD children increased significantly with the number of AD-related clinical visits (P < 0.001). The risk of developing ITP in the AD cohort was highest within the first 3 years after the diagnosis of AD (HR: 1.78; CI: 1.14-2.78). The AD cohort with ITP had a higher occurrence rate of other autoimmune diseases than the non-AD cohort with ITP. AD children had a greater risk of developing ITP and other autoimmune diseases. Further research is needed to clarify the role of allergy in the pathogenesis of ITP and autoimmune diseases.

Association between allergic diseases and risks of HSP and HSP nephritis: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Some allergic inflammation-associated mediators have been reported in acute stage of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). However, the association of children with allergic diseases and their subsequent risks of HSP and HSP nephritis remain unknown.

METHODS

In this study, we included 2,240 children with HSP diagnosed between 2000 and 2008 as well as 8,960 non-HSP controls matched for age, sex, and level of urbanization. The odds ratios (ORs) of HSP were calculated with respect to associations with pre-existing allergic diseases.

RESULTS

Children with allergic diseases had an increased subsequent risk of HSP; the lowest adjusted OR (aOR) was 1.33 for allergic conjunctivitis (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-1.52) and the highest was 1.68 for asthma (95% CI: 1.48-1.91). The aOR increased to 2.03 (95% CI: 1.80-2.31) in children with at least two allergic diseases. Children who visited medical institutes more often per year for associated allergic diseases had an increased risk of HSP. Of the 2,240 children with HSP, 249 (11%) had HSP nephritis and 45.8% of those with nephritis had history of any allergic disease.

CONCLUSION

Atopic children had an increased subsequent risk of HSP but not an increased risk of HSP nephritis.