Abstract:
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing. itchy inflammatory condition
of the skin usually associated with other allergic diseases such as asthma
and hay fever. Following the initial occurrence of AD several factors such as
environmental allergens, colonization with Staphylococcus aureus and allergen
specific T cell responses are though, to aggravate the disease. The bacteria
skin flora of patients wit h atopic dermatitis is strikingly different from that
in healthy people in terms of the presence of Staphylococcus aureus. An altered
epidermal barrier; increased bacterial adhesion, defective bacterial clearance
and defective cutaneous innate immune response are among various factors
contributing to this high bacterial colonization inAD Staphylococcus aureus
strains with ability to secrete Staphylococcal enterotoxins A - D and the toxic
shock syndrome toxin - 1 have been isolated from the skin of up to 65% of
AD patients who are colonized with this microorganism. These toxins
aggravate the disease by cellular activation to produce cytokines.
