ABSTRACT
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disorder associated with increased serum IgE levels and sensitization to food or environmental allergens.1,2 AD affects between 10-21% of young infants3-5 and is associated with a significant financial burden.6 There is often a family history of allergic diseases, highlighting the importance of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of AD.7-10
Over the years, many studies have examined the association of AD and food hypersensitivity in children and adults.11-45 The role of hypersensitivity to food antigens in the induction and maintenance of AD has remained an area of controversy. Several reviews by dermatologists have concluded that IgE food allergy affects only a minority of patients with AD,46-48
whereas Sampson reported that 74% of selected children with AD deteriorated clinically on formal food challenge.49 The Melbourne Atopy Cohort Study (MACS) has demonstrated a close association between both conditions, particularly in infants with severe AD.27 In older children and adults, this association is less well defined, as IgE-mediated food allergies are less common than in infancy.50
