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JACI Highlights - April 2006
Howell et al – Cathelicidin deficiency predisposes to eczema herpeticum
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects approximately 17% of children and is associated with recurrent skin infections. The susceptibility of these individuals to recurrent skin infections may be related to the decreased innate immune response in the skin of AD patients. The cathelicidin family of anti-microbial peptides is an integral component of the innate immune response that exhibits activity against pathogens. Eczema herpeticum (ADEH), a disseminated herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, develops in a subset of AD patients. In the April 2006 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Howell et al studies the potential role of cathelicidins in controlling HSV infection and to examine differences in cathelicidin expression between uncomplicated AD and ADEH patients. They found that a more exaggerated reduction in cathelicidin expression may predispose a subset of AD patients to develop ADEH. Patients with AD are a heterogeneous population expressing different levels of cathelicidin in the skin. The study also demonstrates the importance of the cathelicidin in controlling the replication of HSV in the skin.
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