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A Question of Balance

Arch Dermatol. 1998;134:870-871.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

ATOPIC DERMATITIS (AD) is characterized by chronic skin inflammation, which can result in significant morbidity and impact on quality of life.¹ Topical corticosteroids are currently the most common treatment for AD. However, in a subset of patients, the therapeutic response to these agents is unsatisfactory. In addition, long-term use of topical corticosteroids may be associated with unacceptable adverse effects. Since AD is associated with a number of immunoregulatory abnormalities,² therapy directed toward correction of the immune dysfunction represents a rational alternative for those patients with conditions unresponsive to conventional therapies. Alternative treatment modalities would be especially useful for patients in whom corticosteroid resistance could be contributing to treatment failure.³

Interferon gamma (IFN-), a cytokine produced primarily by T cells with a Th0/Th1 profile and natural killer cells, is considered to play a central role in immunoregulation.⁴ Studies in mice⁵ and in humans in vitro⁶ have established that IFN- suppresses . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Long-term Effectiveness and Safety of Recombinant Human Interferon Gamma Therapy for Atopic Dermatitis Despite Unchanged Serum IgE Levels
Seth R. Stevens, Jon M. Hanifin, Ted Hamilton, Susan J. Tofte, and Kevin D. Cooper
Arch Dermatol. 1998;134(7):799-804.
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