ROLE OF BACTERIAL TOXINS IN ATOPIC DERMATITIS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Atopic dermatitis is a common cause of chronic skin inflammation in the general population. It is known that atopic dermatitis can be triggered by bacterial infection and that certain bacterial proteins called "superantigens" contribute to the severity of skin disease. The goal of the current study is to investigate why patients with atopic dermatitis are prone to bacterial infection and how superantigens produced by staphylococcus aureus, the most common bacteria found on the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis, contributes to skin inflammation in topic dermatitis. The study will involve taking bacterial cultures, blood samples and skin biopsies from patients over the age of 12 years old. An understanding of mechanisms underlying bacterial infection in atopic dermatitis is likely to lead to new treatments in this common skin disease.