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Washington University Finds Why Eczema Progresses To Asthma
The doctors call this progression the atopic march.
In the new study, researchers have shown that a substance secreted by damaged skin circulates through the body and triggers asthmatic symptoms in allergen-exposed laboratory mice.
Early treatment of skin rash and inhibition of the trigger substance might block asthma development in young patients with eczema.
"Over the years, the clinical community has struggled to explain atopic march," said study author Dr Raphael Kopan, professor of developmental biology and of dermatology.
"So when we found that the skin of mice with an eczema-like condition produced a substance previously implicated in asthma, we decided to investigate further.
"We found that the mice also suffered from asthma-like responses to inhaled allergens, implicating the substance, called TSLP, as the link between eczema and asthma," he added.
The researchers found that cells in damaged skin can secrete TSLP (thymic stromal lymphopoietin), a compound capable of eliciting a powerful immune response.
And because the skin is so effective in secreting TSLP into the blood system, the substance travels throughout the body. When it reaches the lungs, it triggers the hypersensitivity characteristic of asthma.
"We are excited because we've narrowed down the problem of atopic march to one molecule," said Kopan.
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