The researchers observed that one-month-old infants with AD had lower expression of genes related to lipid metabolism and synthesis, tight junctions, antimicrobial peptides, and keratinization, and higher expression of genes related to Th2-, Th17- and Th22-type immune responses.

A novel monitoring method that enables human skin transcriptome analysis of the mRNA in sebum) collected from the skin using a simple oil-blotting film may help diagnose atopic dermatitis earlier than is currently possible. According to a newstudy published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Researchers led by Takayoshi Inoue from the Biological Science Research division at Kao Corporation verified the usefulness of this novel RNA monitoring method. The study population comprised a prospective cohort of 98 one- and two-month-old infants. In some of these infants, a diagnosis of AD was made according to the United Kingdom Working Party’s criteria. The researchers first collected sebum from the facial skin of all participating infants using a single oil-blotting film. Next, mRNA in skin surface lipids (SSLs) were extracted for performing transcriptome analysis, and lastly, subjected to data analysis for identifying their underlying molecular features of early-onset AD in infants.

The analysis identified several genes with different expression between infants with and without AD. Specifically, the researchers observed that one-month-old infants with AD had lower expression of genes related to lipid metabolism and synthesis, tight junctions, antimicrobial peptides, and keratinization, and higher expression of genes related to Th2-, Th17- and Th22-type immune responses. These molecular changes in barrier function and inflammatory markers characterizing AD were not reported in earlier literature, especially in one-month old infants, largely owing to the invasiveness of common diagnostic procedures.

The team also observed that sebum RNA could be used to detect the onset of AD well in advance via changes in the levels of these markers, explains Dr. Yamamoto-Hanada, Chief of the  Allergy Center at the National Center for Child Health and Development in Tokyo, in a news release.  “Our results confirm that the RNA monitoring method is useful for the early detection of AD in infants and may also be used for their treatment monitoring in the future.”

The researchers hope that the availability of this simple, objective, and non-invasive diagnostic option for AD will encourage parents of infants with AD to opt for early consultation and therapeutical intervention of the condition.  “Infants often have multiple eczemas and experience repeated exacerbations and remissions. With our method, the timely treatment of early-onset AD can be realized, enabling an improvement in the quality of life for infants with AD and their families,” says Dr. Yamamoto-Hanada. "We can only hope that the results of this research lessen the suffering of infants and their families and bring our society one step closer to being allergy-free!"

PHOTO CAPTION: Researchers at Kao Corporation, in collaboration with the Allergy Center at the National Center for Child Health and Development, Japan, have developed a simple and non-invasive technique for detecting early-onset atopic dermatitis. This approach, which involves obtaining sebum samples using an oil-blotting film for subsequent RNA analysis was developed by Kao and enables the objective diagnosis of atopic dermatitis in infants as young as one month old, offering hope for better therapeutic interventions.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kao Corporation