The pathophysiology of atopic eczema
J.-P. Allam
Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorN. Novak
Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorJ.-P. Allam
Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorN. Novak
Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorConflict of interest: none declared.
Summary
Atopic eczema (AE) represents a pruritic chronic inflammatory skin disease with a complex background, triggered by genetic and environmental factors. Different dendritic cells subtypes, such as Langerhans cells, inflammatory dendritic epidermal cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, play a key role in AE and impact on the mechanisms underlying AE, such as the recruitment of inflammatory cells, T-cell priming, and cytokine and chemokine release. In addition, allergens in combination with bacterial and viral stimuli influence the course and severity of AE. In this review, we highlight the recent progress made in the pathophysiology of AE focusing on the latest research results published in this field.
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