Both term and preterm babies with elevated levels of TARC at two months were found to be more than twice as likely to develop eczema by the age two.

An immune biomarker in newborns may predict the subsequent onset and severity of paediatric atopic eczema, according to a new study presented at the 31st European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress.

The Barrier dysfunction in Atopic newBorns (BABY) study analyzed a cohort of 450 babies (300 term and 150 preterm newborns) to examine whether skin barrier and immune biomarkers could predict the onset and severity of eczema during the first two years of life.

Both term and preterm babies with elevated levels of Thymus and Activation-Regulated Chemokine (TARC) at two months were found to be more than twice as likely to develop eczema by the age of 2 years. This increased risk was still prevalent after adjusting for parental atopy (where the immune system is more sensitive to allergic diseases) and filaggrin gene mutations, which is a major predisposing factor for eczema. The study found a positive association between the level of TARC and the severity of eczema.

Researchers used tape strips to collect skin cells from the back of babies' hands at 0-3 days and two months in term children and from the skin between the shoulder blades at 2 months of age in preterm children. The strips were analyzed for immune biomarkers and babies were followed up for the next two years.

"To our knowledge, this is the first to show that non-invasively collected skin biomarkers can be used to predict the subsequent onset and severity of paediatric atopic eczema," says stydy author Dr. Anne-Sofie Halling from the Bispebjerg Hospital at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, in a news release.  "The study will help us investigate and create future preventative strategies for children with elevated TARC levels to help stop the development of this common and debilitating disease, which is an exciting prospect."

She concludes, "the test is painless and easy to perform and can help us to identify skin changes that occur prior to the development of eczema, particularly for the most severe forms of the disease. This provides a window of opportunity to develop targeted trials and prevent cases of eczema from occurring."