Contribution of an impaired epithelial barrier to the atopic march

Allergic childhood diseases exhibit a high degree of comorbidity. The concept of the atopic march is based on observations that eczema tends to precede later development of asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR). The causal nature of this progression, however, remains a topic of debate. It has been suggested that the atopic march is initiated through eczema in early childhood and that eczema promotes the development of food and airway allergies by driving systemic sensitization through a compromised epithelial barrier.

Source: Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology - January 31, 2018 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Elisabet Johansson, Gurjit K. Khurana Hershey Source Type: research