COMBINATIONS OF IGE VALUES AND LYMPHOCYTE PROLIFERATIVE RESPONSES FORCONSIDERATION OF THE CLINICAL COURSE OF INFANTILE HENS-EGG-SENSITIVE ATOPIC-DERMATITIS

We have attempted a new approach, using peripheral blood mononuclear c ells (PBMCs), to predict the clinical course of infantile food-sensiti ve atopic dermatitis (AD). In this study, we investigated the relation ships between the clinical course of infantile hen's-egg-sensitive AD and laboratory data obtained at the early stage of AD, particularly on combinations of specific IgE antibodies to hen's egg and proliferativ e responses of PBMCs to ovalbumin (OA). Total IgE concentrations, spec ific ISE antibodies to hen's egg and proliferative responses of PBMCs to OA were measured in 31 hen's-egg-sensitive AD patients within 6 mon ths after development of AD symptoms. After the acquisition of laborat ory data, the clinical courses of all patients were followed up for 1 year. The stimulation index of proliferative responses of PBMCs to OA in hen's-egg-sensitive AD patients whose symptoms did not improve was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that in hen's-egg-sensitive AD pa tients whose symptoms improved. On the other hand, the radioallergosor bent test (RAST) scores for hen's egg were not statistically different between the two groups. The degree of refractoriness of AD symptoms t ended to be higher in the patients who showed a higher total ISE conce ntration at the beginning of the clinical course than in those who sho wed a lower one. These results might be attributed to the underlying c ause of AD, i.e., a cell-mediated and an IgE-mediated allergy. We conc luded that, in addition to total IgE concentrations, combinations of R AST values and lymphocyte proliferative responses to OA are important to predict the clinical course of infantile hen's-egg-sensitive AD.