Effects of treatment on serum intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM- 1) levels in children with atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is a common skin allergy disease in children. Levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) were measured in sera of 16 atopic children both during exacerbation and remission periods and were than compared with levels in seven healthy controls. Atopic children had much higher sICAM-1 levels during the exacerbation period than in remission (920 ± 126 ng/ml vs 771 ± 103 ng/ml), but in both periods, sICAM-1 levels were twice as high as values in controls (481 ± 24 ng/ml). There was a correlation sICAM-1 levels and the clinical severity of the disease, but no correlation was found between sICAM-1 levels and total eosinophil count and IgE levels. Following the treatment of active lesions with local corticosteroids and antihistamines, ketotifen was used in the maintenance treatment. No serious side effects were observed even though there was obvious clinical relief. We concluded that sICAM-1 may be useful in monitoring clinical severity and ketotifen may be used in the maintenance treatment of atopic dermatitis in children.