The point prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) among Korean adults visiting the Health Service Center for health check-ups was assessed. AD was diagnosed based on the questionnaires filled by patients and through physical examination by dermatologists. A total of 3,563 persons completed the questionnaires, and 2,032 persons were examined by the dermatologists. According to the questionnaires, the prevalence of AD was 7.1%, and from the dermatologists' examination, it was 2.6% overall, which decreased with age significantly. The prevalence in men was higher than that of women. Grading the severity of AD according to their eczema area and severity index scores, 70.6% were classified as being mild, 25.5% moderate, and 3.9% severe. Interestingly, concomitance of psoriasis and AD was found in 0.5% of those examined by the dermatologists. Our results suggest that AD is one of the most common skin diseases not only in children but also in adults in Korea.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Dermatitis, Atopic/complications/diagnosis/*epidemiology ; Female ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Psoriasis/complications ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Severity of Illness Index ; Sex Factors

Cow's milk is one of the most common food allergens in children with atopic dermatitis (AD). This study was conducted to describe the natural course of cow's milk allergy in children with AD, and to identify factors predictive of outcome. To accomplish this, we reviewed the medical records of 115 children who were diagnosed with AD and cow's milk allergy before 24 months of age to evaluate their clinical characteristics and prognostic factors. During a follow-up period of 24 to114 months, the median age for tolerance to cow's milk was found to be 67 months. Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model revealed that the peak cow's milk-specific IgE level within 24 months after birth was the most important factor for prediction of the outcome of cow's milk allergy. In conclusion, half of the children younger than 24 months of age with AD and cow's milk allergy could tolerate cow's milk at 67 months of age. The peak cow's milk-specific IgE level within the first 24 months of birth is useful to predict the prognosis of cow's milk allergy in children with AD.
Animals ; Cattle ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dermatitis, Atopic/complications/*diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immune Tolerance ; Immunoglobulin E/blood ; Infant ; Male ; Milk/immunology ; Milk Hypersensitivity/complications/*diagnosis ; Odds Ratio ; Prognosis ; Time Factors

The aim of this study was to analyze the natural history of atopic dermatitis (AD) and the risk factors associated with the remission of AD in Korean children. We enrolled 597 children with AD that occurred in the first year of life. A variety of factors influencing the prognosis were assessed by medical records and telephone interviews. Their outcome was classified into complete remission, intermittent, and persistent AD. AD had completely disappeared in 422 cases (70.6%), while 149 (25%) and 26 cases (4.4%) showed intermittent and persistent skin symptoms, respectively. The average healing time was 29.6 months in complete remission group and expected healing time of the AD was 60 months. None of risk factors were significant by multivariate analysis. But, in moderate-to-severe AD group, maternal diet restriction during lactation (P = 0.046) and no sensitization to cow's milk (P = 0.017) were significantly associated with remission of AD in the multivariate analysis. In conclusion, AD occurring in the first year of life disappears in a significant proportion of patients. In addition, in Korean children with moderate-to-severe AD, maternal diet restriction of allergenic food during lactation and sensitization to cow's milk seem to predict the prognosis of AD.
Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Dermatitis, Atopic/*diagnosis/etiology ; Female ; Food Hypersensitivity/complications ; Humans ; Infant ; Interviews as Topic ; Lactation ; Male ; Milk Hypersensitivity/complications ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Remission Induction ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between intrauterine exposure to cadmium and the presence of atopic dermatitis in infants 6 months of age, adjusted for covariates including exposure to other heavy metals. The present research is a component of the Mothers' and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study, a multi-center birth cohort project conducted in Korea. Study subjects were restricted to pregnant women in whom cadmium and lead levels were measured at delivery and whose infants were assessed for the presence of atopic disease at 6 months of age. The odds ratio (OR) for the presence of atopic dermatitis in 6-month-old infants whose cord blood had elevated cadmium levels, after adjustment for other covariates, was 2.350 (95% CI, 1.126-4.906). The OR for the presence of atopic dermatitis in infants whose cord blood had elevated lead levels was not significant. In the present study, the cord blood cadmium level was significantly associated with the presence of atopic dermatitis in 6-month-old infants; this was not true of the cord blood lead level. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first prospective study to show a relationship between prenatal exposure to cadmium and atopic dermatitis in infancy.
Adult ; Cadmium/analysis ; Cadmium Poisoning/*complications ; Cohort Studies ; Dermatitis, Atopic/diagnosis/*etiology ; Female ; Fetal Blood/chemistry ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Lead/analysis/toxicity ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects