[Inflammatory mediators in patients with atopic dermatitis after treatment with transfer factor].

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis is a skin inflammatory disease, which is associated to high levels of IgE, eosinophiles and change of T lymphocytes. OBJECTIVE: To determine if the treatment with transfer factor for moderate atopic dermatitis decreases the number of inflammatory cells in the peripheral blood. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We selected twenty patients with diagnosis of moderate atopic dermatitis. The age range of the patients was between 5 and 45 years old. Patients were assigned to one of three groups: group A included patients with atopic dermatitis treated with transfer factor: one unit a day for five days, two units a week, one unit a week, one unit every fifteen days and one unit a month. Group B included ten patients with atopic dermatitis who received conventional treatment (hydroxyzine 10 mg/24 h) and the group C was conformed by healthy controls. All patients were submitted to basal and final determination of IgE, peripheral blood eosinophils, and underpopulation of lymphocytes by flow cytometry. Study period was of ten weeks. RESULTS: Levels of IgE were reduced respect to the basal value. In the patients of group A there was an increase in neutrophils and leukocytes after treatment; however, it was not significant (p = 0.46). Eosinophils were significantly reduced (p = 0.01). After comparing group A to group C the p value was of 0.035. CONCLUSION: In patients with atopic dermatitis, after 10 weeks of treatment with transfer factor, the level of IgE and peripheral eosinophils was reduced.