Atopic Eczema Is Associated With Delayed Maturation of the Antibody Response to Pneumococcal Antigens

[Guest guest]

http://www.apnet.com/www/journal/aaaai/5108.html#5108

AAAAI 56th Annual Meeting

Abstract No.: 653

Atopic Eczema Is Associated With Delayed Maturation of the Antibody Response

to Pneumococcal Antigens

PD Arkwright, L Patel, A Moran, MR Haeney, TJ

Child Health, Booth Hall Children’s Hospital, M7 9AA, United Kingdom &

Immunology, Hope Hospital, M6 8HD, United Kingdom

Subject: 23 Immunodeficiency

Keywords: 31 atopic dermatitis, 102 Ig isotype switch, 110 immunodeficiency

Maturation of the antibody response to carbohydrate antigens such as

Streptococcus pneumoniae develops slowly in children. This defect in humoral

immunity parallels the natural history of atopic eczema, in that it is most

marked in infancy and tends to resolve by school age. In this study we have

therefore investigated the temporal association between the maturation of

this component of humoral immunity and childhood eczema in more detail. 39

children with moderate to severe atopic eczema but no history of systemic

infection were studied retrospectively. Their Pneumococcal antibody

responses before and after Pneumovax II were compared with responses in 12

children investigated for recurrent chest infections and 42 children

investigated for other illnesses (64% for recurrent throat and ear

infections). 92% of Caucasian, non-atopic children who did not have a

history of recurrent chest infections, responded to Pneumovax after the age

of 4 years, compared with only 17% of Caucasian children with atopic eczema

aged 5 to 8 years (p < 0.005). This delay in maturation was similar to that

seen in non-atopic children investigated for recurrent chest infections (p <

0.006), and was associated with levels of IgA and IgG2 characteristic of

infants (p < 0.05). The results provide evidence for disordered humoral

immunity in atopic eczema. The clinical significance of these findings will

need further investigation.