CANDIDA ALLERGY AND ATOPIC DERMATITIS
Yutaka Manabe
Mimihara General Hospital, Sakai, Japan
Objective: As skin colonization
with Staphylococcus aureus influences the disease process of atopic
dermatitis (AD), recently Candida sp. colonizing in the intestinal tract
reportedly play a role in the exacerbation of AD synptoms. We studied the
clinical features of AD patients with intestinal colonization of Candida
sp.
Methods: Among 550 patients
with AD in our clinics, 15 patients with positive specific IgE to Candida
and positive stool colonization of Candida sp. were selected. Clinical
courses and synptoms and laboratory data were studied.
Results: 12 patients had
specific IgE to food antigens, among them 7 to more than 5 food allergens.
Serum IgE level above 10000 IU/ml was observed in 3 patients and others
above 1000 IU/ml. Complications such as cataracta was observed in 3
patients. History of severe AD
was noticed in 11 patients, among those patients 8 had the episode of
exervation late childhood. All patients had the history of positive skin
colonization with Staphylococcus aureus. All were given disinfectant
treatment on skin lesions with various compliance.10 were treated with oral
nystatin and elimination diet. Good response was bserved in 6 patients with
good compliance of both therapy.
Conclusion: As with
Staphylococcal skin infection, AD patients with Candida allergy especially
with intestinal colonization of Candida sp. have severe AD and high
incidence of complications.