KETOCONAZOLE IN ATOPIC-DERMATITIS - THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE IS CORRELATED WITH DECREASE IN SERUM IGE

The prevalence of specific IgE antibodies to the yeasts Pityrosporum o rbiculare and Candida albicans was investigated in adult patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) or with seborrhoeic dermatitis and in healthy controls by means of the radioallergosorbent test (RAST), Of 63 AD pat ients, 28 (44%) had IgE antibodies to P. orbiculare and 21 (33%) to C. albicans. This is highly significant, since no antibodies were found in sera from other patients or controls. With the intention to treat, 20 patients with AD and a positive RAST to P. orbiculare were given ke toconazole 200 mg daily for 2 months and 200 mg twice weekly for furth er 3 months. The clinical scores improved during treatment with a redu ction in the levels of specific IgE to P. orbiculare and total serum I gE. However, there were no correlations between clinical score and ser um levels of P. orbiculare-specific IgE. C. albicans-specific IgE, on the other hand, correlated both with clinical score and with total ser um IgE.