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Atopic dermatitis, warts associated with increased risk for infection
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Associations between childhood atopic dermatitis, atopic disease, warts, and extracutaneous infections suggest that barrier disruption, immune disruption, or both contribute to susceptibility to warts and extracutaneous infections in children, according to researchers.
“It is well established that barrier disruption related to [atopic dermatitis] is associated with increased cutaneous viral infections, including eczema herpeticum and molluscum contagiosum,” Jonathan I. Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH, of the department of dermatology at Northwestern University in Chicago, and Nanette B. Silverberg, MD, of St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York, wrote. “However, there are conflicting reports about the risk for acquisition of warts in patients with [atopic dermatitis].”
Jonathan I. Silverberg
Researchers examined data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey from a nationally representative sample of 9,417 children aged 0 to 17 years. Children with atopic dermatitis and other atopic diseases demonstrated greater odds for warts. Conversely, data indicated children with atopic dermatitis with or without other atopic diseases displayed higher odds of extracutaneous infections, including strep throat, other sore throat, head or chest cold, influenza/pneumonia, sinus infections, recurrent ear infections, chickenpox, and urinary tract infections (P<.0001).
Those with atopic dermatitis and other atopic diseases developed a greater number of infections compared with either disorder alone (P<.0001).
In addition, warts were linked to an increased risk for all extracutaneous infections (P<.0001), except recurrent ear infections, researchers wrote.
They observed a greater risk for a diagnosis of asthma, current asthma, asthma exacerbation in the past year, hay fever and food allergies among children with both diseases.
“Taken together, the results of this study suggest that immune dysfunction plays an important role in the development of atopic dermatitis and warts and their association with increased risk for other infections,” researchers concluded, writing that further studies are needed to verify these findings.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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