Impact of climate change on atopic dermatitis: A review by the International Eczema Council.

Atopic dermatitis (AD), the most burdensome skin condition worldwide, is influenced by climatic factors and air pollution; however, the impact of increasing climatic hazards on AD remains poorly characterized. Leveraging an existing framework for 10 climatic hazards related to greenhouse gas emissions, we identified 18 studies with evidence for an impact on AD through a systematic search. Most climatic hazards had evidence for aggravation of AD the impact ranged from direct effects like particulate matter-induced AD exacerbations from wildfires to the potential for indirect effects like drought-induced food insecurity and migration. We then created maps comparing the past, present, and future projected burden of climatic hazards to global AD prevalence data. Data are lacking, especially from those regions most likely to experience more climatic hazards. We highlight gaps important for future research: understanding the synergistic impacts of climatic hazards on AD, long-term disease activity, the differential impact on vulnerable populations, and how basic mechanisms explain population-level trends.

Delphi Consensus Statement on the Role of Probiotics in the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by intense itching and recurrent eczematous lesions. Important factors in the etiopathogenesis of AD include genetic predisposition, epidermal barrier dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and gut and skin dysbiosis. Probiotics could be a potential preventive strategy for allergies including AD through immune system modulation as well as enhancement of the epithelial barrier integrity. To further understand the role of probiotics in the management of AD, a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) survey was conducted. Materials and methods A steering committee comprising nine experts formulated consensus recommendations on the role of probiotics in the management of AD and associated flare-ups through the use of the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices questionnaire while analyzing literature reviews and responses from a national panel consisting of 175 members. The evidence strength and quality were evaluated based on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) criteria. The acceptance of expert opinions as recommendations was considered upon receiving an endorsement from ≥70% of the panelists, as indicated by a Likert scale. Results The national panel emphasized that the improvement in nutritional status, immunomodulatory properties, and beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and skin support the use of probiotics in AD. The panel agreed that probiotics should be a part of the complementary therapy in the management of AD and associated flare-ups. Mostly, a probiotics supplementation duration of eight to 12 weeks is preferred by dermatologists. Probiotics, when used as an adjuvant therapy, may serve as a strategy to reduce steroid usage or maintenance therapy in high-risk cases with flares. Conclusion A Delphi-mediated KAP response provides a real-life approach to the use of probiotics in the management of AD. It suggests that probiotics could be useful as an adjuvant therapy in the management of AD and associated flare-ups when used along with traditional treatment.

Intermittent or Sequential Topical Tacrolimus in Atopic Dermatitis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) and topical corticosteroids (TCS) are the mainstays of flare management for atopic eczema or atopic dermatitis (AD). Tacrolimus (an immunomodulator), belongs to the class of calcineurin inhibitors, with promising efficacy in AD. We performed this systematic review to obtain an up-to-date coverage map of controlled clinical trials of sequential or intermittent treatments with TCI as a therapeutic intervention for AD. Articles of interest were retrieved from PubMed, Google Scholar, and EMBASE published between between January 2000 and March 2023. Key words were "calcineurin inhibitors," "corticosteroids," "atopic dermatitis," "pruritus," "sequential," "intermittent" and "consecutive" while fixed language search consisted of "Intermittent topical calcineurin inhibitors AND topical corticosteroids AND atopic dermatitis OR eczema" AD patients who were administered sequential and/or intermittent applications of TCI for management of atopic eczema were included. Outcome measures included but were not limited to Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and the Eczema Area Severity Score (EASI). Four clinical trials were considered for the purpose of review. A total of 101 patients with AD were analysed. The risk of bias was low in two studies, while the other two had an unclear risk of bias. Overall, pooled data from two trials revealed that sequential therapy with TCS/TCI was comparable to monotherapy or emollients, as the test for overall effect determined was non-significant with a p-value of 0.33. The two studies were highly heterogeneous, as indicated by a very high I2 of 92% and an extremely significant p-value (p=0.0005). Sequential therapy with TCS and TCIs was effective and well tolerated in the management of AD and it may be considered an important treatment approach during the initial period.