Expression of CD38 and CXCR3 in children with atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis [AD] is a chronic or chronically relapsing inflammatory skin disease with a prevalence ranging from 10% to 20% in children of developed countries. Skin-infiltrating leukocytes play a pivotal role in the initiation and amplification of atopic skin inflammation. The cytokines produced by T helper-,2 [Th2] cells are crucial factors in the induction and maintenance of the disease. to study the percentage of expression and mean fluorescence intensity[ MFI] of the activation marker CD38 and the chemokine receptor CXCR3 on peripheral blood CD3+ lymphocytes in children with atopic dermatitis. Also total serum IgE and absolute differential count were evaluated .This might be targets for therapy in disease. This study was conducted on thirty cases of AD children. Their age range was 3- 10 years. Also non atopic fifteen children age and sex matched with disease group were included as a control group. The percentage of expression of the CD38, CXCR3 and MFI were analyzed by flow- cytometry on peripheral blood CD3+ T lymphocytes. Also total serum IgE levels was measured by immunonephelometry. The absolute eosinophil, absolute lymphocytes, absolute neutrophil count were evaluated. The mean percentage of CD38 expression on CD3 + lymphocytes and MFI were 70.5% and 5.8 respectively in AD children compared with 17.8% and 5.1 in non -atopic children healthy control [p < 0.01 and p > 0.05 respectively]. The mean percentage of CXCR3 expression on CD3+ T lymphocytes and MFI in AD children were 17.9% and 2.9 respectively compared with 67.93%and 3.3 in healthy controls [p < 0.01 and p > 0.05 respectively]. The mean of the total serum IgE in the patient group was 199.3 lU/ml compared with 62.27 lU/ml in-non-atopic children [p < 0.01]. These results suggest that there is a relation between atopic conditions and an increase in peripheral blood T lymphocyte expressing CD38% and decrease expression of CXCR3%.The presence of high expression of CD38 in atopic patients seems to confirm the role of this molecule as an activation marker useful for evaluation of Th2 immune response. whereas CXCR3-expression on CD3+ lymphocytes decreased in AD than normal control as the chemokine receptor profile determine the migratory patterns of leukocytes. These results may suggest the dysbalance between Th1/ Th2 in AD patients