Oral vitamin D may help prevent some skin infectionsOctober 07, 2008A study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests that use of oral Vitamin D supplements bolsters production of a protective chemical normally found in the skin, and may help prevent skin infections that are a common result of atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema. The study - led by Richard Gallo, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Dermatology at the UCSD School of Medicine and the Dermatology section of the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, and Tissa R. Hata, M.D., associate professor of medicine at UC San Diego - found that use of oral vitamin D appeared to correct a defect in the immune systems in patients with this skin disease. Their findings will be published in the October 3 edition of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology The researchers studied a small number of patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin disease that affects 10 to 20 percent of children and one to three percent of adults. Atopic dermatitis is characterized by areas of severe itching, redness and scaling. Over time, chronic changes can occur due to constant scratching and rubbing. The condition puts patients at increased risk for skin infections by Staph aureus and the herpes and small pox viruses.
It had previously been shown that defects in the immune system interfere with the skin's ability to produce a peptide called cathelicidin, which is protective against microbial invasion. In many skin diseases, including eczema, a deficiency of cathelicidin correlates with increased infection. Study participants (14 with atopic dermatitis and 14 without) were all given 4000 IUs of oral Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) per day for 21 days. Skin lesions were biopsied before and after the 21-day period. The researchers found that oral vitamin D use by the patients appeared to correct the skin's defect in cathelicidin. "These results suggest that supplementation with oral vitamin D dramatically induces cathelicidin production in the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis," said Hata. "It also slightly elevated its production in normal skin in this study." However, the researchers caution that this was a small study and that further research is needed to evaluate the long-term effects of vitamin D supplementation, and to determine if this may be an adequate way to prevent infections in patients with atopic dermatitis. In the past several years, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased rates of multiple cancers and diabetes, among other diseases, notably in studies published by UC San Diego researcher, Cedric Garland, Dr. P.H., professor with Moores UCSD Cancer Center and the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at UC San Diego. University of California - San Diego | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Atopic Dermatitis Current Events and Atopic Dermatitis News Articles Skin defects set off alarm with widespread and potentially harmful effects When patches of red, flaky and itchy skin on newborn mice led rapidly to their deaths, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis looked for the reason why. Scientists complete genome sequence of fungus responsible for dandruff, skin disorders Scientists from P&G Beauty announced that they successfully sequenced the complete genome for Malassezia globosa (M. globosa), a naturally occurring fungus responsible for the onset of dandruff and other skin conditions in humans. Researchers at Children's Discover Connection between Allergic Diseases and Autoimmune Diseases A new study by researchers at Children's and the University of Washington (UW) identifies a connection between allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, and autoimmune diseases. Glucocorticoid plays key role in skin abnormalities induced by psychological stress Inhibiting glucocorticoid, a type of steroid, can prevent skin abnormalities induced by psychological stress, according to a new study from the December issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Hopkins researchers develop new quick tool to sort out insect bites in children Children afflicted with insect-bite rashes are often misdiagnosed or referred for extensive and costly tests, but a new, easy-to-remember set of guidelines developed at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center should help. Natural plant oil does not improve eczema Borage oil (sold as starflower oil in chemists and health food shops) does not improve symptoms of eczema, despite some studies suggesting a dose related benefit, finds a study in this week's BMJ. Purified borage oil contains a minimum of 23% gamma linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid that is needed for normal skin function. Evening primrose oil also contains GLA, but in lower concentrations. Researchers identified 151 patients with atopic eczema. Every day for 12 weeks they received either high dose borage oil (containing 920 mg of GLA) or placebo in matching capsules. Symptoms were scored using recognised scales. The symptoms and signs improved to a similar degree in both groups, Colds flourish in damp homes People living in damp homes are likely to have four or more colds a year, suggests a study in Thorax. Over 10 500 first year students in Finland responded to a questionnaire about living conditions and levels of asthma, allergy, and respiratory infections. Dampness was assessed by visible evidence of mould and water stains and/or water damage during the preceding 12 months. Possible risk factors such as pets, wall to wall carpeting, smoking and an inherited tendency to asthma and allergy were also accounted for. Overall, 15 per cent of respondents reported evidence of damp. Among those who did so, the risk of asthma was twice as high, and these students were also likely to have had at least More Atopic Dermatitis Current Events and Atopic Dermatitis News Articles |
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